Fate New Rebellion
by lioncousin
Summary: Shirou Kotomine has won the Great Holy Grail War. With his wish granted he is transported to a new land with a far more corrupt capital than the one he fought and failed against in his previous life. A new fate is presented to him with a whole new world, and a whole new rebellion... (Fate Apocrypha/Akame Ga Kiru crossover)
1. Prologue (Rewrite)

**A/N: So I finally got a Beta reader and together we went through and started editing and rewriting my previous chapters. Overall I find them to be much stronger in detail and content now and hope that old and new readers will enjoy reading them. Remember this is based off of the not yet completely translated Fate Apocrypha so I took some creative thinking into my own hands with how events turned out this way. In no way are these events canon. I hope everyone enjoys the prologue.**

**XxXxXx**

In a golden throne room, high above the torn landscape of the battlefield below, a lone man stood. He was garbed in the vestments of an Executor of the Church, with a red Holy Shroud around his shoulders flowing out like a small cape and a golden cross around his neck. His appearance would be average for a priest, however his peculiar looks was anything but. With tanned skin, piercing steel-grey eyes, and pure white hair, the word 'average' didn't apply to him. His face looked very boyish and innocent, further accentuating his uniqueness.

This man was Shirou Kotomine, and In front of him was his prize: the Greater Grail. Riding on his Servant's Noble Phantasm, The Hanging Gardens Of Babylon, the young man felt a considerable amount of satisfaction and relief. The Great Holy Grail War was practically already won, with the Black Faction destroyed and his faction pretty much completely unharmed.

The war has gone heavily in Shirou's favor once he assumed command of six of the total seven Servants on the Red Faction. The arrogance of the opposing faction, the Yggdmillenia family, that their all-powerful Lancer of Black, the great Vlad Tepes III, would be able to attain complete victory for their side tips the scale even more in his favor. After all, in his life he was no stranger against such... _easygoing_ enemies.

Their confidence was somewhat justified, as the Holy Grail War was held in Trifas, a city in the Transylvania region of Romania, pretty much the Lancer of Black's backyard. The closer a Servant was summoned to the source of their legend, the more powerful the Servant would become, and this place gave Vlad III a massive buff in his parameters, even before considering Lancer's own Noble Phantasms. They became cocky, and so gave him enough time to prepare for his assault.

It took three days, but Assassin of Red's Hanging Garden was finally created, giving the Red Faction a floating fortress far stronger than the one Yggdmillennia was holed up in. Not to mention that two of Shirou's Servants, the Rider Achilles and Lancer Karna both had the parameters and skills to already fight on par with, if not defeat, Vlad III.

Unfortunately, despite his superior position, Shirou was only able to eventually crush the Black Faction at the cost of all of the servants under his command, except for Assassin and Lancer of Red. Every single one of the Masters of Yggdimllenia, he slaughtered. They had no future left even if he left them alive, and the Magus Association of the Clock Tower would have disposed of them anyways. However, Shirou Kotomine still had to deal with a couple thorns left in his side.

An explosion ripped a hole in the side of the room Shirou Kotomine currently stood in. Out of the smoke came one of the few who stood in his way: Kairi Sisigou, the Master of Saber of Red and the only Master from the Red Faction that had a Servant not under his control.

"Kairi, I'd say it's a pleasure seeing you again, but I'd be lying. Why don't you surrender now? Your Saber might be powerful, but she doesn't stand a chance against Lancer."

The Necromancer only snorted, "Huh, Saber would castrate you if she heard that! But who said she was fighting alone?"

It was then that Shirou noticed another presence.

"So that Ruler Class Servant is helping you as well?" Shirou sighed in contemplation. "I knew it, not being able to eliminate her early on would bite me. Although, as only you are here right now, Kairi, does that mean you intend to fight me alone?"

"Damn right! While Ruler and Saber fight of Lancer, I'm going to enjoy tearing apart your fake holy ass!" Kairi brought up his sawed off shotgun, pointing it at Shirou.

Shirou just looked at his opponent in amusement before producing three Black Keys, the weapons of the Holy Church, in his right hand before charging at the last remaining Master.

Kairi, although proficient in combat was caught off guard by Shirou's speed. barely dodging a lethal slash at his abdomen, instead he received three gashes on his left side. They weren't lethal, but would definitely cause a problem during the rest of the battle. The Black Keys were originally designed as a throwing weapon and exorcism mediums, and it showed in their shape: a handle far too short and stubby with an overly long and thin blade. Kairi raised up his shotgun before firing a hail of Gandr-infused bones at Shirou. The bones flew at subsonic speed before hitting the priest dead on, causing a small dust could to emerge from the impact.

"Well that was..."

A voice finished Kairi's statement.

"Disappointing. I know." A completely unharmed Shirou Kotomine stepped out of the carnage, saying casually, "I expected better from you, Kairi. I guess I should not have expected too much, though. We are on completely different leagues from each other."

Not even a scratch on his clothing was present.

"Ok, explanation time. How are you still alive?" Kairi asked, preparing to launch another salvo at Shirou.

"It's simple, really. I'm surprised Ruler withheld this information from you when you decided to attack my remaining forces."

Shirou appeared before Kairi in an instant, shoving his Black Keys into his gut. A fatal blow. Shirou leaned in close to the dying man and whispered into his ear.

"I'm a Servant."

With that phrase, Shirou swung his Black Keys upward, through Kairi's lungs, heart, and out of his neck.

The next moment, a Crimson wave of Prana blasted its way into the throne room, Saber of Red directly behind it.

Shirou raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. "You're still alive? Tsk... that must mean that Lancer have fallen. Very surprising, but at least it seems he has taken care of Ruler with his demise." With a confident gait, Shirou smiled saintly at her, "Well, you'll follow shortly, though."

'_He read me like a book...!'_ Saber growled inside her mind. With her Master gone, and having used her Noble Phantasm more than once already in her fight against Lancer, Mordred was operating with dangerously small amout of Prana. She estimated that she would never have enough for another shot of Clarent Blood Arthur, no matter how fast her recovery rate is.

Fuck that shit.

Her Master was lying in front of her eyes, his corpse unrecognizable visually due to his brutal death. She got along with him well enough, much better than most others in her actual life, and her remaining pride as a Servant still made her blood boil. She had casted away her pride as a knight, as a woman, and as a daughter, but she'll be damned if she couldn't chop off that smug priest's face off his skull right now!

Raising her sword, she gathered every last bit of her energy. Blood-red Prana began to swirl around her cursed sword... the exact sword that claimed the life of her father and idol.

"**CLARENT-"**

It was a suicide charge. The priest would normally laugh at the attempt and gladly recieve the blow, for what remained of his life was dedicated to God and all the people he wanted to save. However, now that the tool to salvation was already in his grasp, he couldn't afford to die yet.

Because he was the man who would save all of them.

He raised his sleeves, revealing a strange series of markings going up to his elbows. The markings started to glow black-and-white, radiating power equalling Saber.

"**RIGHT ARM-"**

Mordred swung her sword down.

"**BLOOD ARTHUR!"**

Shirou Kotomine struck his right hand forward.

"**WICKEDNESS PREDATION!"**

A crimson blast of destruction rushed towards Shirou intent on eliminating his existence, but it was stopped by the black-and-white vortex that emerged from Shirou's right hand, swallowing it.

Shirou Kotomine's, or rather Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's Noble Phantasm: Right Arm - Wickedness Predation, also known as Right Hand - Evil Eater, can reproduce Shirou's many miracles, one of them is swallowing and destroying anything fueled by dark, negative or corrupted energy. Clarent, although a powerful sword, was tainted by Mordred's sins and its attack is being fueled by Mordred's hate, leaving it susceptible to Shirou's own Noble Phantasm.

As a Saint, and one of the most prominent in the Far East, God had bestowed upon the man His blessings, allowing Shirou to commit many miracles when he was originally alive. This manifested as his two Noble Phantasms, his Right Arm and Left Arm. The two of them held the Almighty Key, the symbol of God's Grace to him, allowing him access to the Thaumaturgy foundation, and by default, any Magecraft. However, his skill in using Magecraft was only slightly above average, so his Noble Phantasms only enabled him to use what skills he knew effectively and without any drawbacks. Certainly, it's a system with many flaws instead of an invincible skill.

Such flaws were, for example, unable to completely nullify an A++-ranked Noble Phantasm without any collateral damage.

His Prana reserves rapidly dropped. With the speed he's wasting it, it wouldn't be a stretch for him to die from Prana exhaustion, before his body was incinerated from whatever remains of Clarent Blood Arthur.

'_Am I actually going to fall here after coming so far?' _

A pair of smooth, slender arms embracing him from behind. It was a sensation Shirou knew too well; the softness of a female's body, the sweetness of a female's scent, the light touch of a female's palm, all of them overwhelmingly and inhumanely vivid and sensual. Throughout the War, it was this presence that never left his side, always comforting and supporting him whenever he went and whatever his desicions.

It was the first presence that Shirou ever yearned with his heart after his long life and afterlife.

The gentle voice of Assassin blew into his ear.

"You have come way too far to fall now."

His prana reserves slowly refilled. Looking back, he saw the body of his Servant slowly disappearing.

He panicked, and shouted, "Semiramis, what are you doing!?"

All that Semiramis, the Queen of Assyria, did was smile. "I'm just giving what was already yours back to you."

Shirou was shocked by his Servant's reply. Closing his eyes, his mind recalled his previous life. A life eternally watching his friends die, his followers martyred, a life of helplessness. A life of perpetual hatred, of humans and God. A life which birthed the Shirou Kotomine of today, the one that made him hungry for humanity's salvation.

And now he would watch it all over again.

It was for naught. The plans he made, the sacrifices he gave, the lives he took and exterminated, and one of the few people he ever thought of as precious still ended up like this.

He was scared. Not of her death, no, but that _his heart could feel nothing anymore_. He watched her figure dissipating, like fireflies on a plain, and all he could think of was how she could be useful to him. He was scared. He wanted to be angry. To be vengeful. To feel his heart clench and his eyes water.

There was none of those.

Steeling himself, he returned his focus to the crimson onslaught before once again. "As you wish my Queen."

Semiramis could only smile at his reply.

The next moment, it was over. The crimson blast of destruction was devoured by Shirou's right hand, and Mordred laid face down on the floor her legs, already disappearing.

Shirou turned around and sat, gently putting his Servant's head in his lap as he stared upon the Greater Grail. All other opposition before him finally defeated. He looked down at his Servant's beautiful face, stroking her long raven hair gently. He saw her otherworldly stunning face in a relaxed smile, her long, pointy ears drooped lifelessly. Was she out of breath? Was she getting sleepy? Wa-

Finally, Semiramis spoke up.

"Eh, Shirou. Tell me those words you said to me when you first summoned me. I want to hear them again."

How could he said no?

"O Queen of Assyria - in this Great Holy Grail War, I aim not for victory or defeat, but for another goal. Will you aid me?"

Semiramis chuckled lightly at those words. "You're a liar, you know. Not aiming for victory, but here you are, the victor of all this madness. I am glad to have been summoned as your Servant." Semiramis pushed herself up with her fading body, before placing a kiss on Shirou's lips.

She then faded, leaving one final word.

"Goodbye..."

Then all his defenses fell.

'_Is this... how they always felt? Those heroes that died, knowing that they accomplished nothing? Those men that died, knowing that their death amounted to nothing? Those sould that cried, knowing that nothing would answer them?_

'_...hurts'_

Shirou stood up. He didn't know if he could call it love. Not having any experience with the emotion during his time as Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, but he did know he harbored some sort of feelings for the beautiful Servant. Walking towards the Greater Grail, he prepared to ask for his wish, knowing Semiramis would not want him to linger on her passing. As the Hanging Gardens of Babylon slowly fell apart around him, Shirou presented the Grail with his wish.

"Oh, Greater Grail… Humankind needs salvation, yet they constantly eat each other and stomp on each other to grow and advance, much like Ouroboros. I have come to terms with my failure during my rebellion, and I strive for salvation! So I, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, no, Shirou Kotomine ask of you! Bring me forth to a land in need of salvation for this one is too far down the path of destruction to be saved. Lead me to a rebellion where I may bring about true justice, as penance for the hopes of the people I have failed!"

A golden light emerged from the Greater Grail, embracing Shirou Kotomine in its pure power. When the light faded, Shirou Kotomine was no longer there.


	2. Chapter 1 (Rewrite)

**A/N: Here is the rewrite/edit for chapter 1. Again I hope it is well received like my original chapter was. This chapter is still in first person and so will future chapters unless if the pov is being switched to another character besides Shirou. My beta and I thought it would be best to write like that.**

**XxXxXx**

"Oh, Greater Grail… Humankind needs salvation, yet they constantly eat each other and stomp on each other to grow and advance, much like Ouroboros. I have come to terms with my failure during my rebellion, and I strive for salvation! So I, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, no, Shirou Kotomine ask of you! Bring me forth to a land in need of salvation for this one is too far down the path of destruction to be saved. Lead me to a rebellion where I may bring about true justice, as penance for the hopes of the people I have failed!"

The omnipotent power of the Greater Grail answers my request, and I find myself being embraced by a golden light filled with so much Prana that I think my body was going numb from a state of bliss. The light swarms into my eyes blinding me as I feel it seep into every single inch of my body, spreading its warmth throughout me, and as soon as it comes the golden light vanishes with the euphoria it brings with it. No longer am I Shirou Kotomine, Master of Assassin of Red, victor of the Great Holy Grail War, standing in the ruins of the crumbing Hanging Gardens of Babylon. As my vision returns to me, I find myself in a completely new environment.

I am no longer in the destroyed golden throne room just moments prior, but in a small little alleyway that seems to lead to a market. From the loud bustling sounds of people coming from the end of the alley, the Greater Grail must have transported me to some sort of section of a city or town. I check my own person to make sure I haven't received any unnoticed injuries from my fight with Saber.

It would be a shame to have won the war, only to have perished from lack of attention.

My executor garb seems untouched, though a bit dusty. My holy shroud is undamaged as well, and I still have six Black Keys on me, in case if I run into unsavory situations. My Prana levels ar-

"_Goodbye..."_

I shake my head to resist the temptation to lament over my loss. I never expected it to hurt so much to lose Semiramis, but what is important is the now.

'_Eh? The Mana around here is strange... almost overflowing, in fact...'_

That thought brings a smile to my lips. The salvation I wanted to grant to this world will be so much easier to complete without any interference from the pesky Gaia. Really, this is why humans were so interesting. Rather than working together with their surroundings, to be in harmony with nature and wildlife, they chose their own path and seek to conquer everything they laid their eyes upon. This carnivorous nature partly explained the... say, tumultous relationship with the planet (and other planets as well, judging from how the other TYPES react to humanity).

In that aspect, this world's representation of Alaya is much stronger than he/she/it previously, relative to Gaia.

'_About that... are those the correct nomenclature around here? I should che- No, I'm getting quite distracted.'_

To my relief, Semiramis's sacrifice was not in vain. About 40% of my reserves have returned from using my Noble Phantasm, and it's filling very rapidly due to the low resistance from Gaia. Unrelated to my Prana levels, my body feels refreshing... stronger, tougher, faster, younger than before. This anomaly should be checked much later, I suppose, after I find some accomodations.

'_Geez, I'm thinking like an old man already...'_

Making my way out of the dark and damp alleyway, I enter the bustling crowd of the market before me.

XxXx

It is already night. I spent the entire day collecting information regarding the conditions of this world, mainly geographical, cultural and political datas. This world would be called strange and fictious to the ones used to my original world, however, my time in the Throne of Heroes taught me that there're endless permutations of the world as we know it. One single choice made by someone, or one accident happening due to pure chance, or one whim of the ruler and gods could substantially change how a particular world develop, and, in the end, how it will end up.

This world is a combination of medieval culture and steampunk-like modern technology. People dress conservatively (barring some... specialized occupations), the houses are done mainly by timber and stone, and horses are the main choice of transportation. However, the rich can afford a tour in a freaking _cruise liner_, guns are commonplace in wars, and I even heard an absurd rumour about how the current empire has developed a... well, basically a _MECHA_!

Calm, calm. Talking about the empire, it cannot be missed that the current King is horribly inadequate, and is just a pawn in the current Prime Minister's chessboard. Also, the bloodlust from the people directed to the Prime Minister is so thick I can poke it with my tongue. A very normal and human-like response, if the stories and news I heard were at least 50% correct. A disgustingly ironic name too for the fat basterd: Honest.

_Honestly_, pun intended, he's just become my number one target.

Extortion, pillaging, rape, corruption, murder, kidnapping, torture, and so many others that I don't care mentioning brought my mind back to my previous life. The nobles were corrupt, lowly parasites that lived off the blood and tears of those beneath them. The government never cared more than what was put into their mouth and pockets, or what their genitals were put into. The officials were the devil's henchmen; all of them drunk and inefficient unless they're doing something to work the people's body to death.

For what was the nth time, I felt my own emotions swirl into a storm, before channeling that energy into cold-blooded efficiency. I don't know whether it's because of the strange surroundings, the different culture, or the fact that the person I cared about died just yesterday, but recently I gave more and more into what my heart was saying, instead of what my head told me to do. I recognize this wasn't an entirely bad thing; after all, many heroes drawn more strength to do what was theoretically impossible for them just by feeding of these feelings.

I fully intend to milk it for all its worth, while at the same time operating with a cool and sound mind. I don't want to end up in some tragic-ending legend... well, in this life, at least. Leaving behind a tragic legend once should be enough for anyone after all.

Finally, it seems that there is already a rebellion going on. The rebel forces are calling themselves The Revolutionary Army, so they must at least have some sort of military strength and size with a title like that. They also have a black ops department, which goes by the name Night Raid. Supposedly, judging by their name, they always strike in the cover of the night, killing evil and bringing justice to the defenseless populace.

I sarcastically sneered in my mind. '_Some assassins they are... A black ops group shouldn't have its name known, or even had their faces recognized and put on wanted posters in front of me.'_. Ah, maybe my standards are too high for this world?

I turned my attention to analyzing the faces described in the posters.

Najenda. White, short hair with an eyepatch on her right eye. Prostethics for her right arm, and former general of the Empire. Highly dangerous, top priority.

Akame. Very young and beautiful lady, apparent even through a sketch. Described as a lithe girl with long black hair and red eyes, just like her name. Carries a Teigu with her, called Demon Sword Murasame. Highly dangerous, top priority.

Bulat. Former top soldier of the Empire with an extravagant pompadour on his head, how he can maintain hair like that I will never know. Main weapons are the Teigu armour Incursio and a spear. His alias is the Hundred Men Slayer. Highly dangerous, top priority.

Well, I take it back. The only reason they're on this poster is because they have past connections with the empire. Other than the above description, all the words in the posters are just speculations and exaggerations, although the general mass will be fooled quite easily by them. They're much more competent than I thought, since of course you can't run a black ops department with just three people.

'_Or can you? I heard the Hashanshins employ incredibly small numbers for their operations... I suppose I'll have more information tomorrow.'_

"I might as well find someplace where I can stay the night. Although I have a Servant's body, I don't have the option of spirit form, and sleeping on the floor doesn't seem very pleasant."

Looking farther down the street, I see a stopped carriage with a couple of guards and a young teenage girl, probably no older than sixteen, helping a teenage boy of the streets. In most cases, I would have run it off as someone trying to be a good samaritan. The girl though is obviously nobility, making me already wary of her intentions. Secondly, what set me off is her smile. That smile she had on her face didn't promise help; it promised pain and death.

However, she isn't the only one capable of being a manipulator here.

I steadily approach the girl, wearing my best impression of a saint. Oh, wait, I am a Saint already...

"Hello, ma'am. I noticed you were helping this young man here, and I was wondering if I may also ask if you can extend your generosity to me as well? I am not from around here, and I am trying to find a local church, to no avail. I can work my keep if you very well need me to." I see the delight in her eyes, and I know I had her. What a fool.

The girl, whom I figured out is named Aria, brings me and the boy named back to her mansion. I must say it was quite large, but it had nothing on Semiramis' Hanging Garden of Babylon. After we arrived, Aria rushes me and the boy to meet her parents for dinner, but my already-crushed appetite is completely gone by the time I met them.

Aria's parents are no better than her. They present smiles that on the outside sung songs of good will and intentions, but to a trained eye like mine, I knew they were corrupt and rotten. What a shame. The boy probably views them as his savior, for they gave us a place to stay and food for the night. I wonder when they'll finally show their true colors?

One of Aria's guards leads me and the boy to one of the many guest rooms to share for the night. We both thank them for their hospitality before getting ready to retire for the night. I am currently on a mat I found in the closet that I rolled out, letting the boy take the bed. I am ready for Morpheus's embrace to take me, but the boy has other plans.

"Hey, so what's your name?"

I roll around to face the boy, staring into his green eyes with my grey ones.

"Where I'm from, it is polite to give your own name before asking others their own," I reply.

The boy seem slightly taken aback by my reply before chuckling slightly, giving me a cheeky smile. "Hehe, sorry. My name is Tatsumi. Yours?"

I was amused by his innocent demeanor. "I am Shirou Kotomine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Tatsumi. What are you doing here in the capital, by the way?" This conversation slightly erases my sleepiness, so I'll use this moment to gather more information. First, I need to have him lower his guard around me, although it doesn't seem to be too difficult.

"I noticed you had a sword, so you must be a skilled swordsman...? I'm curious as to what a strong individual like yourself is trying to do," I press on with a smile. Lead him into a false sense of security, and get him to give you information. A simple tactic. Seeing the embarrassment on his face from my praise and innocent question, I can tell it's working.

The boy named Tatsumi rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. "Well, you see…"

Tatsumi starts to tell me how his village is suffering from heavy taxes being imposed by the capital, so he and two of his friends, Sayo and Ieyasu, left for the capital trying to make money to send back to his village. Currently, he is trying to regroup with his friends after they got separated during a bandit attack in the middle of the night, which is apparently a common occurrence outside the walls of the capital. A noble endeavor, and one that I can't help but respect. The boy was full of naivete, but he had a good head on his shoulders.

It's a shame I couldn't meet him earlier in my life. Back then in Japan, we would've gotten along great. Two youths, brimming with optimism and strength; with him as my supporter, perhaps the outcome would've been different.

All I can think of right now is how to use this boy and play him according to plan.

Really, such a shame.

After he told me his tale, he quickly fell asleep. Now that I was awake after conversing with Tatsumi, I figured I might as well explore this mansion.

Well, now that I think of it, I can really see how commoners' taxes are wasted in this house. Gold and silver gilded the chandeliers, pillars of marble, expensive and authentic-looking artworks; this family have them all. I'm surprised that Tatsumi didn't blow out and rant about this waste of money, given his background, and then proceed to bash their head in for the apparent corruption and robbery of the masses. But, well, a full meal and warm right after he's stranded on the street might have dulled his head.

However, it seems the one thing that they skimped on the money is the guards. For a mansion this size, they have just the right amount of guards to patrol around the area, but a single look at them and it's apparent that the guards are just some hired muscle off some dark alley somewhere. Sure, they're trained, but training and real ability are world's apart. As such, it's far too easy to slip by every single one of the guards in the mansion. I'm tempted to execute them all, along with Aria and her parents as well, but considering Tatsumi is still here, my plan has to be done later, maybe in a few days.

The mansion has a typical layout for western buildings that are strangely similar to the ones in my world, in a sense that the width of the building surrounds a large garden in front and behind the house, like the letter 'H'. Again, however, I'm quite disappointed about the defense around here. There are no traps at all laying around, not even a non-fatal one that rings the alarm or something. Really, these nobles in this world are either far too cocky for their own good, or far too stupid to make use of it.

Especially around that suspicious-looking shed before me. Made from wood, which in itself wouldn't be too uncommon; however the design itself is a complete deviation of the style of the mansion. No windows or any form of ventilation, and located so far away from the main path that cuts through the garden to make it impractical to retrieve anything inside the shed to and from the main house. Again, either they are stupid... or what's inside of it is never meant to be taken out in the first place.

The scent of fresh and rotting blood assaults my nose as I open the door. Locked, of course, but I simply break it.

The sights inside makes me regret not slaughtering everyone on the way here.

To be frank, the shed could pass as a normal slaughterhouse-slash-meat-factory in my world, judging from the slabs of meat hanging from various hooks and chains, along with the storage boxes lining the wall. The interior temperature is nicely kept cool and dry, perfect for storing meat. To achieve this environment without the use of modern equipment, and with an old building design, I have to give props to the architect.

But they're are humans.

Not human meat, or carcass that have been butchered and filleted like what normal people find in a slaughter house.

Corpses. Corpses everywhere.

Old, young, man, woman, kids, fair-skinned, dark-skinned; whip lashes, amputation, slash marks, burnt flesh, gouged eyes, twisted limbs; acid smell, rotten smell, sulphur smell, ferrous smell.

I don't feel sick.

I'm livid.

A cough from the side snaps my mind back to reality.

Ah, it turns out the boxes that line the wall aren't boxes. They're cages. Filled with humans.

Really, with this amount of self control I should be a Saint twice over.

The cough came from a boy about Tatsumi's age. Black hair, brown eyes, solid built for a teenager. He is curling inside one of the cages, which isn't unusual considering their size.

I hurried over to his side. Observing closer, something becomes evident to me. His complexion is terrible, with spots of green between the pale skin. The color isn't consistent with bruises from blunt weapon. His breathing is ragged, and judging by the uneven way his chest heaves for air, it is caused by broken ribs. Reinforcing all five of my senses, I sense his erratic heartbeat and muscle movement. This boy has been beaten and tortured, sure, but that treatment isn't fatal.

He's ill. Not much long to live, either.

Looking around, it's not a surprise, really. Kept in a closed environment with a mountain of corpses? Yeah, that would be unhygienic, in a most understated way.

The boy is trying to say something, all while holding back his pain. He looks at me with a desperate look in his eyes, but it's not a desperation to live.

He's telling me to run.

I reach into the cage, gently squeezing his shoulder for reassurance. It is likely that the boy knew about his terminal condition, and in this final moments still thinks about the safety of a stranger like me.

My conviction is never stronger.

"You… You're not one of them right? Please, you have to leave. They'll kill you! They already got Sayo..." The boy said intermittently between breaths.

Sayo, that was the name of the girl that Tatsumi was originally travelling with as well. So... this boy is... Ieyasu?

"I'm already done for. I'm ill... slowly... but Tatsumi... they don't have Tatsumi yet. I-If you see him... tell him to leave the capital. It's an evil place!"

I want to pity him. I want to console him, to pray for him. I pray to God, futile as it is through my life, to grant this boy release. But... I don't pray for His judgement.

For I am, I am.

_I am the Hammer. I am the edge of His sword. I am the tip of His spear. I am the mail about His fist. I am the flight of His arrows._

I reveal the markings on my left arm to Ieyasu, which start to glow as they feed on my Prana.

"Hey..." he coughed,"What are you doing!?"

I ignored his cry.

"**Left Arm - Foundation of Heaven's Blessing."**

A gentle glow radiated off of the boy as the markings on my left arm glowed a pristine white. The scars and bruises on his body slowly faded away, and the pain left his eyes.

"I am sorry, but this is all I can do." I smiled softly, "I cannot cure you, but I have numbed you to its pain. You will most likely die tomorrow." I was being blunt with the boy. He didn't deserve false words of comfort... just the truth.

With that being said, I turned to leave. Ieyasu's words reached me as I stepped outside of the shed, ready to fix the broken lock, so my entrance goes unnoticed.

"That's fine with me." He smiled back, "You're a good guy, you know. Promise me, though... Promise me that those bastards will pay!"

Looking over my shoulder I decided to answer his final request.

"I'm not a good guy, but I promise you they'll pay. Scum like them... they don't get very far."

I closed the shed, fixed the lock, and made my way back into the guest room provided for me. Tomorrow, blood will be spilt.

'_For him to still be able to smile like that... This servant is grateful, oh Lord, for the things you showed me today..._

'_Tomorrow, let Thou be the judge of me... Forgive me, for I shall not forgive them.'_


	3. Chapter 2 (Rewrite)

**A/N: Same treatment here. Chapter has been edited and rewritten to flow with the previous chapters. The pov has also changed to 1st person like how I said it would be for all the edited chapters and future chapters except for the prologue. I hope everyone enjoys. The next set of edited chapters will be released when they are finished.**

**XxXxXx**

The following morning was peaceful. Tatsumi and I were served breakfast, which was surprisingly clean from any drugs or poison that might've been fed to those people in the shed. Really, I was half-hoping that they did, when afterwards I'd expose their crimes and execute them on the spot, hopefully with justification from Tatsumi. Rather, Aria and her family wanted to gain our trust in these few days, perhaps to make the despair we're expected to feel even better.

Tonight it is, then.

Later in the afternoon, Aria dragged me and Tatsumi to accompany her shopping in the city. Thankfully, I stayed to myself, as the more talkative Tatsumi was appointed the promising position of gopher. It was again another exhibition of splendour, as Aria practically bought from every store, whether the items were useful or not, and piled them on onto Tatsumi's bosom.

Tatsumi, naive as he is, seemed to already catch on to the true nature of nobles and those in the capital. At first, he was cheerfully going along and eagerly commented on the choices Aria made, but later in the day he simply put up a polite mask, never saying anything other than words to keep the mood. I also caught him speaking to some merchants, and by some lip-reading I knew Tatsumi's eyes were being opened, slowly but surely, to the devil right in front of his eyes.

Good. He'll need all he can get to survive.

I'm sure that Aria also knew of Tatsumi's change. Sharp as he is, he is simply too inexperienced in life to lie in front of this... monster in human form. Perhaps she also has her suspicions about me, but my guess is that she doesn't really care what her prey thinks of her, so long as she can play with them to her heart's content.

"Poor sap." I muttered under my breath.

After shopping, Tatsumi and I were once again asked to spend the night, which we both graciously accepted, although for different reasons. Tatsumi fell asleep fast enough, happy to have the bed once again. I, on the other hand, prepared for some cleansing…

I make sure all my possessions are once again with me. I have replenished my Black Keys, along with the sword Shakespeare made me. I didn't dare to utilize it these last few days, as the consequences of pulling out a Noble Phantasm not completely my own was a little bit too risky. After some discreet experimenting, I found that it's form will be stable enough to be enhanced according to this Prana-rich, Gaia-poor environment.

I make my way through the mansion. After yesterday's reconnaissance, I can feel the movements of the mansion's inhabitants like a 3D-model. Of course, this includes the dying souls in the shed, which warrants myself to take a deep breath to suppress my blood lust. I may be a saint but I am not totally pure. I can feel the desire to kill.

First target: Aria and her parents. Second target: everybody that gets in my way.

I'm neither foolish nor bloodthirsty enough to just simply go into a killing spree. I guarantee that a good percentage of the people working here also share my thoughts regarding the mansion's owner. They'll be good additions to a network I plan on creating, in order to bring salvation to this world. No one can do everything by themselves, after all.

As i travel the corridors, a familiar feeling passed through me.

Blood lust.

A few living signatures make their presence known, at least to me. Further Reinforcing my senses, there's... 6 people? Three female, three males, all moving at high speed. My ears can catch their calm footsteps and steady breaths, but just barely. Professionals, I'm sure. Night Raid, perhaps? They're not mages, but I can definitely feel latent mana being used for personal enhancement. Of course, sufficiently trained people can utilize what they usually call 'aura', 'Qi', 'Od' or 'Mana', and so forth, but 6 of them at the same time? Not a coincidence.

Also... they're much closer than I anticipated. Have I grown lax these days? Sheesh, I still need to improve...

Aria's father is running across the hallway, pale face immediately contorts into relief.

"Ah, Shirou! Thank-"

He never finished.

Truth be told, I enjoyed it when I saw the fear appear in his eyes. However, it's all too late, as a Black Key pierces his heart. He tries to say something, but all that came out was a wet gurgling sound. I personally don't believe that this man is capable of compassion, but maybe his final thoughts were of his family?

I whispered to his ears, "Relax..." I stare right into his eyes, "I'll take care of of wife and daughter."

I added a small chuckle for evil measure, though it seems he died midway through our conversation. How rude.

One of the intruders is closing in on my position, probably after the same target as I am. Avoiding him, I left the man's body on the floor, before leaping out through one of the open windows to other parts of the mansion. As I predicted, there are some of the guards and workers that are here because of coercion and circumstances, so I simply direct them to gather someplace safe. I assume that Night Raid won't hurt them, given their 'fighting-for-you-all' vibe.

If it turns out to be the opposite, well... I have a new target, then.

The remaining workers and guards are in a mess, not coordinating and working together to repel the intruders. Not that they can do much, mind you, judging from their abilities, but I'm sure there's a more efficient way than just running around and shouting to whomever listening. I ended up killing them quickly, not making much of a fuss, because I sensed that Night Raid is closing in on the shed.

Along with Aria and Tatsumi.

I hid behind a canopy of trees lining the garden, with a direct view to the shed and its surroundings. Suppressing my presence, I watch as Tatsumi, Aria, and... Akame? ...Yes, it turns out my guess of them is correct. A voluptuous cat-woman stands near Akame, probably her comrade. I don't sense any other presence near us, so it means the guards around here have all been done for. In the distance, a few presences are running about quietly, whom I assume to be other Night Raid members patrolling.

The interactions near the shed unfold pretty much exactly how I guessed it would happen.

Tatsumi, quite gentlemanly, defends Aria from Akame, still being the naive boy I know, and still not knowing which side he should pick and trust, despite his own suspicions. Aria is playing along as the innocent girl he knows, faking the role of a distressed damsel, despite the bitch's eyes showing everything. Akame, the professional assassin, doesn't speak much, and tried to subdue Tatsumi as quickly and safely as possible, showing good judgement of people and excellent sword skills.

As predicted, Tatsumi is no match for the black-haired beauty, ending on the ground after a few exchanges. He's not fatally injured, it seems, and to my surprise he pulled out a damaged... totem... from his inner pocket. What a good luck charm it is.

Akame and her cat-woman friend then proceeds to open the shed door, and explains the truth of Aria and her family to Tatsumi. Meeting his dying friend, and seeing his other friend's corpse, the novice swordsman flies into a rage and swiftly butchers Aria. Again, his sword skills shows promise, but still very rough around the edges.

'_Geez, what am I? A sports commentator?'_ I chuckled inwardly.

Now, though, I am hit with a dilemma. Tatsumi is the only person that knows the existence and faces of some Night Raid members (of which they know of, not including me). Common sense in the assassination business is to kill all eyewitnesses, or dispose of them in a way they cannot reveal any sensitive information. Tatsumi is a genuinely good person, a rarity in these times.

If they decide to off Tatsumi, I'll help him, even at the cost of revealing myself. I simply can't turn a blind eye if Night Raid starts to kill civilians and bystanders just to keep their secret. I sense the patrol unit of Night Raid is converging back this way, so I carefully knead my Od to move at any moment. I can't afford to use Mana from the surroundings, as the cat-woman seems to have superior senses than most people, maybe closer to me.

Fortunately, out of the blue, they unanimously decided to capture Tatsumi, which means he'll be treated well enough to be useful to them. Maybe they'll just ask him for information, or maybe they'll try to recruit him, I don't know. In any case, it's a load off my back, knowing that this boy will be safe in the near future.

When I could no longer feel their presence, I left my hiding place. I was amazed by how juvenile and impulsive the members of Night Raid seemed to be, or at least the ones I have witnessed. If I hadn't seen some their skills in comparison to the guards, I'd be questioning their competence. Hell, I still am questioning their competence and sanity, but that debate can be put off for another time. Now I am left alone with a now unowned mansion, with a small amount of servants still on the premise.

I grinned. "Better get the Bounded field set up."

It's been several days since I started setting up Aria's mansion as my base of operations. Temporary, but efficient, since it is located in the capital... And it'd be a waste to left it otherwise. A simple Bounded Field keeps people from being nosy of why on earth their neighbor has suddenly just gone quiet and never seen again. It'll cause any investigator to suffer from a sudden sense of foreboding and unease. Simple and neat.

The bodies were disposed of in a nearby river to the south. With so many corpses, of course there're some repercussions, but eventually with no leads the blame was placed on Night Raid, keeping me clean.

I gave the still-living servants and guards two choices: join me in my cause, or walk out with their memory wiped. For sure, I explained my dream and passion to them, in my best preaching tone and charisma, but never once I forced my own opinion against someone else. Those that disagreed before in my previous life was... 'convinced' not to get in my way. Or dead.

After a good night's sleep (which I ordered them to have), they made their choices the next morning. About half of them decided to leave, a decision I respected. It's a bit of a hassle, hypnotizing so many people at once, not because of the technical difficulties, but because another half of them that wasn't hypnotized. They're quite shocked when their former co-workers walked out the front gate with no memories of the remaining servants.

I explained to the ones that stayed that I came from a faraway land, with certain perks and abilities only those from my home possesses (which isn't entirely a lie). Telling them the entire truth will compromise my position, and I was glad they accepted it easily at the time.

The other thing I'm happy about is their devotion to my cause. Yes, I probably used a bit of my Class Skill, which was my C+ ranked Charisma, to charm them, but it's a skill that's useless if the target firmly denies the principle of the logic presented to them. I know that each and every one of them has a good deal of information I can use, and a solid network of people in the capital to acquire other information they don't have.

Mainly, the information on who needs to die.

Truly, their will to fight was incredible, as I already had a good net of spies going around in the city. As always, there's a select few of them that excels naturally, and with zealous far exceeding others. Between my underlings, it is the boy named Yoru.

A mere fifteen years of age, a modestly built boy with tanned skin, short, messy black hair, and deep brown eyes. I feel myself lucky just to have him under my command. Around 80% of any relevant information fed to me was provided by this boy alone, and he accomplished it with such ease that can only come from natural talent. However, what I adore most of all is his passion and fiery soul to succeed my dream. Sometimes, I wonder just who it is that believe in my dream more, me or him? I'm not one to purposefully play favorites, but I'd be a foolish tyrant if I don't reward him justly. In just a few short days, he had become my trusted assistant.

Yoru, along with everybody else, goes to town during the day to collect information and mingle with the citizens, barring several that are assigned to the night shift. We gather for meals 3 times a day, where they reveal their prized rumors and data. They also consult me on my next move, on whom needs to die first, or whom to keep alive until later on.

After gathering solid intel, I am the sole operator of the assassinations. Some of my targets were skilled, or surrounded themselves with skilled hands, but none of them came even close to match the members of Night Raid that I met, much less myself. I let Night Raid to take credit for my job, as anonymity is currently my biggest asset.

Speaking of Night Raid, I wonder how Tatsumi is doing? After his first kill, the Night Raid members seemed eager to have him among his ranks, especially the blonde cat-woman who was likely familiar with Tatsumi before he made contact with Aria, judging from their conversations last night I managed to pick up. Well, if he did join them, he could very well be a formidable warrior in the near future. He has potential, and with a skilled teacher, I'd put my money on him being able to stand alongside the other members in skill.

Now, though, I am in the middle of a meeting with my group. Yoru is speaking. Seriously, this boy needs to take it easier on himself, lest he burnt himself out. I told him many times, but he was determined enough that I let him do as he please.

"Shirou-sama, there has been increased talk in the streets regarding Ogre of the Capital Guard and Gamal the oil merchant. Gamal has been giving bribes to Ogre to keep quiet about his crimes and unethical practices, then frame other for it. Ogre happily accepts these bribes and causes innocent people to take the fall for Gamal's actions, ending in execution. These men are monsters, and they deserve to die!" Yoru said the last part with more malice than usual in his voice, capturing my curiosity.

"Yoru, do you have some sort of past with Ogre and Gamal?" I asked.

Yoru is visibly shaking, trying to keep himself in check.

"They killed them, Shirou-sama... Ogre, and Gamal, are the reason I lost my parents and ended up having to serve that bitch Aria. It's all their fault... All of it…!"

Tears were now slowly coming down the boy's cheeks.

'_I see. He wants vengeance and retribution.' _

I place a hand on Yoru's shoulder, before making the boy look into my own grey eyes.

"Yoru. I understand you want to do something about your parents' killers. It is natural to feel anger, hate, and want retribution. But it isn't healthy to keep something like this bottled in. I told you and everyone else in this mansion currently, that I will do my best to rid this land of the plague that is killing it and its people. It's OK to need a pillar of support. I will be your pillar for now, until you can support yourself once again."

Yoru breaks like an overflowing dam at my words, letting his tears flow freely as I pull the boy in to comfort him, tears staining my clothes.

"I just want to make a difference! I want to cause change!"

"And you have. This information you brought me will be the end of those two. You don't have to be out in the battlefield to make a difference. Those who gather information are just as important, if not more, than those who fight out in the open. If you truly wish to make a difference, continue doing what you're doing. One day you might end up fighting, but that day is not today. Now calm yourself, and tell me the rest of the information," I soothed him.

Yoru pulled away from Shirou, wiping away his tears, new found determination in his eyes. "You got it, boss! Ogre tends to spend his time out on patrols with his subordinates. But other than that, he hangs out at the Garrison Headquarters where Gamal comes to his private room to give him bribes. On his days off, he leaves headquarters and spends the day drinking on Main Street, close to the palace."

"It seems like it would be easiest to kill Ogre during one of his days drinking when he is not so close to the center of the capital... Continue."

"Gamal lives in an oriental-style small palace. He's really confident with Ogre looking out for him, so he doesn't have too many guards at his place, n-not that they would have been a problem for you. However, I have also heard that Night Raid may be working on this job as well."

"Fantastic work, Yoru! Grab something to eat from the kitchen and go get some rest. You deserve it."

Yoru beams at my praise, muttering words of thanks before leaving me alone.

I feel a little guilt for playing his emotions so thoroughly. Yoru is a simple boy, and he's one of the types I always see self-destructs because of vengeance. If possible, I want to keep him from the front lines, to avoid him messing up horribly in the future. Though, I have a feeling I won't be able to convince him too.

Damn high-ranked Revelations...

'_It would be best not to be seen by Night Raid. The series of murders I've been leaving will make them cautious of me, and a fight may break out. I don't want to have to kill any of them, if I don't have to.' _

I pick up my holy shroud from the chair, putting it on. Kissing my cross slightly, I mutter, "Let Justice be served, with the Heavens as my witness."

XxXx

Gamal's home is way too easy. My new assistant was understating in how lax the security is. I mean, a small palace guarded by just _one_ guard! Come on, I know you're in bed with the Guard Captain, but can you be anymore stupid?

The guard in front was granted a swift death. Personally, i sensed that everyone working here has blood money, so they needn't be spared. After this, I walked through a small walkway that connects to Gamal's personal garden, on which the frog-like merchant was in.

I wasted no time. Leaping silently, one Black Key beheaded him before he notices anything. I bagged his head for souvenir for Yoru.

'_Damn, he's ugly. But he'll make a fine gift... I think?'_

Two people are behind me. Night Raid?

Turning around, I observe Akame and her buxom blonde companion moving towards me.

"Leone, this must be the man that has been taking all of our jobs." Akame said in her normal calm, monotone voice.

"It seems you're right, Akame. Hey, doesn't he look familiar to the guy Tatsumi was talking about? Silver hair, grey eyes, tan skin. He never mentioned he was this attractive though!" The blonde, Leone, cheerfully commented.

'_So Tatsumi did mention me. It really was wishful thinking to believe he would just forget about me.' _

"Now, It's my pleasure to be the talk of two beautiful women such as yourselves, but I have somewhere I need to be. Plus, the man is already dead, so there isn't a reason for either of you being here now, correct?" I raise up the bag with Gamal's head inside as I look between Leone and Akame. My grey eyes locks with Akame's own red eyes.

Akame instantly became wary of the man before her. Those grey eyes have seen and done terrible things, maybe even worse acts that she has committed. The lithe girl drew her katana. "Leone. It would be best to take this man in for questioning."

Leone lowered herself in a strange stance. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Please, I would prefer to just leave. Like I said, there are other places I need to be." I try to persuade them, to no avail.

I notice that the belt Leone is wearing suddenly emits Prana, where in the next instant lion ears and tails grew on her body. Her hair becomes longer and wilder, her muscles tighter and claws sharper. '_So a lion-woman, not a cat-woman? Up close she appears quite strong...'_

She rushed at me, aiming an enhanced punch to my lower abdomen.

Now, I'm not going to get cocky or anything. I have my fair share of experiences where a slight spike of arrogance, even when a person is on the verge of victory, can cause doom to that person. Yes, I know plenty.

But, damn, she's slow.

It's probably my Servant abilities being so overpowered in this world. In my world, Servants are considered level with Divine Beings, a presence so abnormal that no humans, no matter how skilled or numerous, can match them. So in this world, it's only normal to think that I just gotten a bit stronger, at least in relative to my opponent.

I simply twisted my body away from her punch and shoved her behind me. Her momentum caused her to stumble, but before I could capitalize on the opening, a silver flash was already moving towards my neck. I blocked it by materializing a Black Key just before it could cut me.

'_That katana... very dangerous. Is it coated in poison? Curses? At any case, even being scratched by that is a bad idea...'_

'_He's good.'_ Akame thought as Shirou pushed her back beside Leone.

"I would prefer not having to hurt any of you yet, so just give up. You can't beat me." Shirou said, as if it was a fact.

Leone leaned towards Akame, "Hey Akame, this guy is actually pretty good. Do you think that weird blade he has in between his fingers is his Teigu? It did appear out of nowhere."

"I don't know, but be careful. We don't know what that blade is capable of doing or his full ability yet. The best thing would be to-"

Akame was interrupted and sent off of her feet as she was forced to block a kick that sent waves of pain through her arms. The red eyed assassin flipped in the air before skidding to a hault. Her arms went numb, perhaps fractured at worst.

'_I didn't even see him move!' _

The sound of renewed fighting turned Akame's attention towards Leone who was currently trying to land a blow on her opponent, to no avail. The white-haired man seemed to be able to keep up with Leone even when she was powered up by Lionelle without too much of a problem, which was worrying.

'_I need to help her.'_ Akame thought, but as she tried to move, she realized her body wouldn't listen to her. Looking down, she noticed one of those weird blades that blocked Murasame pierced her shadow. '_Can those blades immobilize me?!'_ Akame looked back at the fight her friend was in with increased worry.

Leone, on the other hand, was getting rather frustrated. Shirou has only made passable efforts in dodging her blows, almost as if he was mocking her skills. It was infuriating, to say the least.

"Stand still already and let me hit you!"

Leone launched her right hand forward, intent on grabbing and crushing Shirou's skull. Her attack, though, was irrational and left an obvious opening. One that Shirou wasn't going to let go to waste.

With his right hand, Shirou grabbed Leone's arm from below, lifting it up while also pressing his side close to Leone's waist, before delivering a vicious left elbow right into her chest. Leone could feel the insides of her stomach moving up and out from her mouth, but before she could recover, Shirou followed up. He kicked her supporting foot out from under her, before stomping on her stomach again, causing Leone to cough out a small amount of blood from her lungs. Her eyes glazed over, signifying she fell unconscious.

Akame was speechless. Never before she had witnessed someone beating Leone so handily in hand-to-hand combat. Her nape felt cold, as if the temperature in the room mysteriously dropped. Maybe... the only one that she knew of capable to do this is General Esdeath. He's as strong as her, maybe even stronger...

And he's walking towards her, slowly, gingerly, almost playfully, like a beast playing with its meal, all with a gentle smile on his face. His expression was calm and happy, almost fatherly, but her entire body trembled uncontrollably at the sight. When was she this afraid? She can't remember... can't move... can't breathe...

His presence was suffocating her. Inhuman. Demonic. Divine.

He reached out with his hand, slowly stroking her pale cheekbones and her jaw. To Akame, it's as if Murasame itself was touching her, a warning of certain death. He traced her collarbone, her shoulders, her ears, her hair, gently like a lover. He looked her straight in the eyes, her crimson orbs against his ste-

Grey...

N-

...

XxXx

'_Did I overdo it?'_

Perhaps. I don't have a hobby of torturing young girls and gaining pleasure from their screams and pains (unlike someone), but maybe the hypnosis I put Akame under was a tad too strong for her. The people in this world are inexperienced with illusions and all matter supernatural, so their mental defenses are much lower. Even training with drugs won't help, as my Reinforced hypnosis, combined with my Charisma, also grips at a spiritual level, making only a trained magus from my original world able to recognize it. Defending against it is another matter.

So... a bit wouldn't hurt her. She should be fine. I know someone like her has seen horrible atrocities herself and although she may be shaken she should get over the hypnosis.

Right.

Now, I'm traversing the rooftops, searching for Ogre's whereabouts. Both the benefactor and executioner must die, or the cycle will just repeat itself all over again. Suddenly, I heard a faint sound of clashing blades. I rushed over immediately, but the downsides of Reinforced hearing is that you do tend to give yourself a false perceptionat how close the target is.

As it turns out, it took me 5 minutes of full sprinting to reach the place.

Tatsumi and Ogre are engaging in a battle to the death.

It isn't very surprising for me to see Tatsumi fighting against Ogre. It just meant that he was recruited into Night Raid's ranks. I'd like to see some improvements since the last time we met, or I'll be disappointed.

At first, Ogre had the upperhand against Tatsumi, using his superior strength and reach to overwhelm the boy. The tides turn, however, when Ogre said something that enraged Tatsumi, causing the boy to release an impressive amount of killing intent as he severed Ogre's arms from his body in an instant burst of speed.

That move surprised me, even though I'm fully aware of how much a human can surpass his own limits when adequately motivated.

Tatsumi jumps into the air, preparing to give the finishing blow to his target.

For a split second, I caught a glimpse of his eyes. Unwavering. Determined. '_They promised death._'

Tatsumi's short sword sliced the Captain's arms, then his legs, then his hips, thighs, chest, and finally decapitated him. A swift combination, magnificent to see even to myself. Say, I'm quite impressed, having observed him in this short fight.

"I see why Night Raid recruited you. You have a long ways to go still, but you show great potential." I mutter to nobody in particular, as I watch Tatsumi walk away from his first kill as a Night Raid assassin.

'_Now to complete my gift set for Yoru.'_

When I returned, it was already quite late. Therefore, I was mildly surprised to see Yoru obediently waiting for my return outside the mansion.

"Didn't I tell you to get some rest?" I asked. I could already tell that this argument would be going nowhere.

"I took a nap for an hour and thirty minutes, that's plenty of rest." Yoru retorted.

"Fine, fine. Maybe after you see this you'll be able to get some more sleep... Maybe even a good dream, or two?" I ended the conversation, while tossing my gift sacks towards him. I walked straight inside the perimeter of the mansion, but my senses were still active, gauging the boy's reaction.

Through the shift in the air, I felt he was trembling. Not of disgust, anger, or shock, which normal people would do if they suddenly opened two bags filled with a freshly-cut human head.

He was simply too happy to do anything else.

As I walked further into the mansion, I felt pride for the first time in many years.

'_70 years... I finally saved one...'_


	4. Chapter 3 (Rewrite)

**A/N: Rewrite of Chapter 3, hopefully everyone enjoys.**

**XxXxXx**

After last night's assassination, I guess it'd be better if I keep my operations to a low for a while. Even though the Imperial Guard has no way of connecting those murders back to me and my organization, small as it is, Night Raid has for sure kept me in their crosshairs now. I'm not going to even mention my treatment to two of their members last night.

By the lack of headline news of the killer, I assume Akame and Leone safely made it out of the crime scene before being detected by the Guards. Their capture will also hinder my movements, as I've been using their actions as a mask for mine. Two skilled operators out of the count will drastically cut off my and Night Raid's moves.

Another good thing about last night's exploits is Yoru's condition. He's acting more and more naturally like a boy his age, a blessed relief in these times, both in this world and my old world. I can feel the mask and wall he put up to protect himself after his parents' murder crumbling down, letting me and his colleagues to see him for who he really is. The reports from other members are positve as well, saying Yoru's eyes to be cheerful and no longer clouded with pain and sadness.

After this change, the black-haired boy worked even harder. I found myself worrying less and less about him, as his self-destructive tendencies, which is common for people with his experience, grows less and less everyday.

"Hey, Aniki!" Yoru yelled.

Inwardly, I bitterly smile as he called me by his new nickname for me. It's touching, very touching, for no one has ever looked up and idolized me as a big brother figure. People see me as a leader, a friend, a close confidant, maybe even a lover, but never as a sibling, much less with such enthusiasm. This way of calling me makes me feel like a yakuza boss, somehow. I still remember the moment I stumbled down the stairs when he first called me such.

Both of us grow more and more attached to each other every single day. Truthfully I'm not use to a sibling relationship. When I was with the Kotomine's my reactions with Risei's actual son Kirei were very sparce and limited.

I beckon him to come sit next to me on the porch. He happily obliges, to the point of having a spring in his step.

"So, Aniki, what did you want to talk to me about?" Yoru asked.

"Yoru, you and everyone know about the killer has been going around at night, beheading his victims, correct?"

"Of course! What, do you want to go after him?"

"No. I want you and everyone else living in the mansion to be back inside before nightfall. The killer is indiscriminate with his targets, and has been killing everyone, from civilians to Imperial Guards. I don't want you, or anyone else here, becoming victims. Additionally, this killer may be in possession of a Teigu, judging from the reports of his deeds."

Teigu. 48 superwapons created by the decree of the First Emperor. Their powers and limitations vary, and their users are chosen by the Teigu itself according to their compatibility with each other. To my mind, the Teigus are some sort of powerful Mystic Codes, half-sentient ones at that. In this world, where the supernatural is not observed and harnessed as closely as my old one, having one or two in someone's possession will give them tremendous edge over their opponents.

My subordinates have compiled the information they know of the 48, although some of the Teigu are unknown since no one has used them for several decades to this day. Acquiring a few of them is definitely in my top three to-do list, or having someone that can use them in my good graces will do too.

Yoru put on a confused expression. "Aniki, you do know that the best information dealers come out at night! Also, why don't you just kill him yourself if you're that worried about him?"

I simply sigh. "Yes, I can take down the killer, if I want to. His skills are most likely no match for mine."

"Then why don't you-"

"I need you to understand, Yoru, that right now I am on Night Raid's watch list after that situation with Gamal. And because of this killer's actions, they will definitely try to stop this serial killer as soon as possible, probably in these 2 days, tops. They will likely be very cautious and hostile of me, now that I have shown that I can take down two of their members, and I need to somehow put myself in their good graces for my current plan to work."

I hear him grumble at the mention of 'the plan'. I keep everyone from knowing the full details of it, and I section what little they know. It's not productive in terms of trust, I know, but at this early stage, caution is the name of the game. Even Yoru is no exception, no matter how close he percieves himself to me.

Thankfully, Yoru stops arguing at this point. Then, a glint appears in his eyes. '_Oh, dear...'_

"Fine, you win, Aniki… But you gotta teach me something cool as compensation!"

'_I knew it...'_

I put my hands up in submission. "Alright, alright. I guess I could teach you something. Just letting you know though, I won't hold back. I won't care if you say you hate me or give up on me, and I'll just beat you harder, halfway to death. Are you fine with that?"

Yoru just scoffs. "Hah! I can handle anything you throw at me, Aniki, just you wait and see!"

I pat Yoru's head, smiling. "I'm sure you can, Yoru, I'm sure you can. I wouldn't expect less from my little brother. Now, go inside, and relay my message to everyone else."

I chuckled at his embarassment when I called him 'little brother', and at his silent joy dance in his mind. He gives me a grin and a thumbs-up, before hurrying back to the mansion.

'_Glad to see that he's lightened up a good bit. Now, what to do...'_

My eyes wander towards the path into town.

XxXx

I decide to take a day off.

A break between work is very important, something I learnt in my life. Overworking will lead to an increased stress, which will reduce mental and spiritual healt and capacity. It'll end on a reduced physical performance, and in this environment, that can only mean death to me and those close to me.

Even during the Great Holy Grail War, i had a day or two to relax before the final assault on the Yggdmillenia stronghold. I used that time to date Semiramis, helping her to familiarize herself with the surrounding town. Granted, the War ended just a couple days later, but it was a precious memory for me... and I'm sure for her as well...

I recalled the sight of her expressions; the usually aloof Queen of Assyria's face changing ever so often, from amazement, wonder, happiness, surprise, disgust, childish, ca-

No, stop it. I can feel my face making a bittersweet smile at her memory. She's gone.

'_I'll never see her again...'_

My initial summoning of the cunning Queen, taking control of the other servants, the creation of the Hanging Gardens Of Babylon, the final battle against Yggdmillenia, Kairi and Ruler's assault against my remaining forces, and finally the kiss that was given to me as my Servant, my partner disappeared before my very eyes.

"I don't need this right now." I said to myself.

I force my eyes to wander around the streets, hoping to find something to distract me. Somehow, I found myself homing in on a particular bookstore.

It doesn't stand out. Built from the usual brick and mortar, the shop itself isn't that big or strategically located. The outer wall and the sign are a bit worn, the outer glass quite clean. Peering inside through the glass, piles of books and parchments can be seen scattered about and on several shelves. I imagine a passerby will be able to imagine the smell of books just by observing it.

But, then, so can they on any other bookstore.

This store is ordinary on the outside.

So why did my eyes lock on it?

I've experienced too much to ignore this kind of things, to just say 'oh-it's-just-my-feeling' and walk away. I suppose that's why I have the Revelation skill at quite a high rank.

Before long, I found himself through the front door of the bookstore. It only does business on the first floor, it seems, and the upper floors are presumably storage or living quarters. Just as precaution, i did Structural Grasping on the entire building, and I observed a basement under me. Not that it's unusual, no, however the thing that piqued my interest is the material used to construct the basement. It's at least two grades above the main building, reminding me of the bomb shelters used back in my days.

Additionally, it is connected to a tunnel that leads far outside of town. I can't Grasp that far out, unlike a certain Counter Guardian, and certainly not in the short amount of time I have before the store owner greets me.

"Fantastic, a customer!"

I turn my head towards the main desk. There's a green-haired teen standing there, probably around Tatsumi's age. He wears red goggles on his head, along with a pair of gloves on his hand. The gloves give me the same strange feeling as Akame's katana, arousing my suspicions that it's a Teigu, like Murasame.

Come to think of it, Akame herself is quite young, also around this boy's age. Do they start young in this world? His eyes also have the same glint as Akame's, which shows... death, not as intense as the red eyed assassin, but still there. He's killed before, that's for sure, and killed plenty.

'_Maybe I can play around with him a little...?'_

"Are you the owner of this store? I must say, it is quite impressive that someone your age was able to set up such an establishment." I said.

The green-haired youth puts both of his hands behind his head and smiled at my light praise. "Well, what can I say? I am a hard working and respectable individual. It's high time somebody finally recognized that." His smile grows wider. "My friends tell me that I'm lazy and I don't do anything all the time! That kind of negative feedback can get to a man over time, you know?"

I chuckle lightheartedly. "I bet it could. Just a friendly tip, though. Maybe you should try to rework the schedule your store currently has? When I walked in, I couldn't help but notice the awkward business hours you have. Why is that, if I may ask?"

"Sadly, I have some obligations that I need to take care of, which is the reason behind the awkward business hours. However, once those obligations are completed, I plan on putting all my time into this store. I want to eventually be able to branch out and become the biggest bookstore in the capital!" The teen says the last part with passionate vigor, and I swear I'm seeing sparkles in his eyes, for a brief second.

"Like I said, though, that probably won't be for awhile. My name's Lubbock, by the way. May I ask for yours?"

"Of course. My name is Shirou Kotomine. Pleasure to meet you, Lubbock-san." I shake his hand in a friendly gesture.

Lubbock simply laughs. "Ha-ha, no need to be so formal with me, Shirou! Now, is there any book I can help you look for? I have a wide variety... all kinds of books in my store. My personal favorite are those involving women-"

"If you have anything regarding the Empire's past and Teigus, that would be all." I Interrupt.

"Wow, the Empire's past? Talk about a boring subject! Teigus are slightly more interesting, but everyone knows about Teigu. Why do you want those?"

I dismiss the question with a flip of my hand. "I came from a faraway land, and I'm not familiar to this land's history. Also, I heard interesting things in regards to these Teigu, so I want to know what makes them so special."

Lubbock places a finger on his chin. "Well, I believe I have a couple of books that have the information you're looking for in the back. If you'll come with me, I can show them to you."

'_He took the bait easily enough. Is it on purpose? A trap? I'll play with him a little bit, then...'_

"That would be very helpful, thank you." I respond with a small smile on my face.

Lubbock starts walking to a door in the back corner of his store, gesturing me to follow him.

He's underestimating me. Showing your back to the enemy is a taboo in a fight to the death, especially in the close confines of this bookstore.

This isn't a fight though. It's a game, a dance, a test on who can outmanouver his opponent first.

But it seems that I'm the one overestimating him.

In the backroom, the boy immediately turns around, killing intent flaring. On his hands, a pair of metal talons made of wires forms on his gloves.

'_A strange weapon... A wire manipulator?'_

"So, Shirou... It seems to me that your appearance matches that of someone who engaged in combat with two of my colleagues. From their description of your skills, I didn't think you would be someone to blindly follow me in here... Seems like they overestimated your intelligence. You played right into my trap."

Like I said. Overestimation.

His weapon holds so much potential, so much even me, seeing it for the first time, can recognize it. A thin wire, sharp enough to dismember flesh, yet durable enough to form metal claws... it's application is endless.

He may have booby trapped the entire room, cutting off any space for my movements while at the same time capable of fatally injuring me in an instant, but he could have also made a net of razors to defend him from any attack. I'll give him good application on restricting my movements with the wires around the room.

Thing is, he intends to interrogate me, so he could have caught me unaware even without me noticing, hard as it is. A wire weapon could have easily catch a human body without injury.

So many 'could-have's are wasted because of simple brashness of youth.

Perhaps he is angry? Perhaps he is impatient? Perhaps he is stupid? Either way, he already threw away his advantage even before we started. This kid's potential lie in deception and unorthodox tactics, but taking me head-on like this... he's not even a threat.

Even so, my body is still that of a human. I have my abilities as a Servant, but caution must still be exercised to defuse this situation without anyone getting injured. I've already incapacitated two of Night Raid's assassins. It would be foolish to injure a third.

"I must say, I am quite impressed with the trap you have set up here, Lubbock. I was not expecting something of this scale when I decided to follow you back here." I half-lie to him.

"So... you knew this was a trap, but decided to follow me anyways. Why!?" Lubbock practically demands the last part, pulling on his hands, causing the razor sharp threads to inch closer to me.

Again, brashness. Such a shame.

"The answer is simple, really. I wanted to test you, and I must say so far you have managed to impress me a lot more than the other two members of Night Raid I encountered. I reckon it is safe to assume you are a member of Night Raid, correct?" I replied calmly, raising my brow at him.

Lubbock is reckless. I don't know how he normally operates, but his skills are far more suited to assassination than both the Night Raid members I've encountered. Sure, Murasame is powerful, judging from the information I've gathered, but it's very conspicuous for an assassin.

His Teigu... 'Cross Tail', if I remember correctly, is perhaps the most versatile Teigu ever created. Plus, he actually thought of a plan of attack, unlike the two girls who just rushed me head-on without even coordinating their attacks.

"Don't screw with me! Why did you not kill Akame and Leone when you were given the chance?"

"I had no intention of even fighting them, Lubbock. They attacked me first. I would hate to have to eliminate potential allies if I don't have to."

"Allies?" Lubbock asked.

"Yes, allies. We are after the same thing after all. The liberation of the people from the tyranny that is the Empire... or more accurately, the Prime Minister. You people in Night Raid must have noticed that I have been eliminating the same people as you, the corrupt nobility and high ranking imperial officials."

I notice that Lubbock is contemplating what I just said. I cough lightly, to grab Lubbock's attention.

"Also, Lubbock, you and your colleagues in Night Raid do not want me as your enemy. I will eradicate all of you, if you force my hand."

With that being said, I unleashed a part of my power.

Lubbock found himself choking from the aura Shirou was releasing. Forcing himself to make eye contact with the white haired man, Lubbock saw one certainty in the grey eyes of the man before him.

Death…

It was on a desolate wasteland. He himself was crucified with metal barbs running through the muscles of his limbs. Bulat was still standing, but he could smell the man's charring corpse from under Incursio's armor. Tatsumi, the new boy, was convulsing on the floor, desperately trying to force back his open guts.

The girls... Leone was crying, begging for death, as a demon continuously impaled her, dismembered her, mutliated her, all the while Leonelle was healing her over and over again. Akame and Mine were being held by countless others, their arms and legs bent in a twisted way. He closed his eyes at the carnage, his last view of the river of blood running through their legs. Sheele... nothing remains of her anymore, just a pile of rotting organs at his feet.

His boss... Najenda...

His death, and the death of all of his friends in Night Raid. No one would be spared, if he choose to oppose the grey eyed man before him, and Lubbock truly believed that even with his trap set up, Shirou could kill him now if he wished.

Lubbock retracted all of the threads from his Teigu, before walking to one of the back shelves taking three books, and handing them to Shirou.

"Here! Take these books, t-take them and go...!" He shoved all three into the tanned man's hands, voice trembling. Closing his eyes to compose himself, he finally managed to utter, "Think of them as an apology for attacking you. I'll talk to the rest of Night Raid and let them know that you're not an enemy, at least for right now."

Shirou took the books from Lubbock.

"I appreciate that, Lubbock. It should go without saying... I'll keep it a secret that a member of Night Raid owns this little establishment here. Thank you for the books, maybe next time we can have a more pleasant conversation as I look for my next purchase. Maybe over a cup of tea?"

Shirou walked towards the back door before turning around. "Oh, and I wish you the best of luck in catching the serial killer that is out in the streets."

With that being said, Shirou turned around and left the back room, heading out of the bookstore, back into the bustling streets of the capital.

As soon as Shirou left, Lubbock dropped down, resting his back against the wall as he started to breathe heavily, sweat rolling down his face.

"We... can't win. Not against him... At least not now... Gotta tell the Boss and others...

'_Shirou Kotomine... What are you? How did you come in possession of such power?' _


	5. Chapter 4 (Rewrite)

Just as I predicted, that very night Night Raid had eliminated the serial killer, Zank the Beheader. My guess was spot on as well, as he was in the possession of a Teigu called Spectator, which, according to my databook, allows the user 5 different kinds of power over 'sight'. Now, I guess it's in the hands of Night Raid and the Revolutionary Army. It's a necessary trade-off to maintain our current relationship, but it's still a shame to lose it..

However, the book Lubbock had... _kindly_ lent me opened up a few possibilities to advance my plans. The most interesting part of it is the existence of the Shingus, or 'Slave Arms'. Judging by the moniker, they are inferior weapons compared to the Teigus, or 'Imperial Arms'.

Inferior or not, their effectiveness depends on the user.

No matter how weak, the Shingus are still vastly superior to conventional arms, and currently very accessible to me. After the Second Emperor learnt of their flaws, he locked them away in shame, only occasionally handed out to special task forces of the Empire to do secret missions. Now, they're mostly forgotten, as Shingus are notoriously harder and pickier to use than Teigus, so the Empire decided to focus their development on conventional arms that are easier to deploy and produce, and reserving the Teigus for their commander.

'_Well, as the old saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Even though these Shingus are inferior to the Teigus, they are still deadly weapons... Weapons that I can use...' _

"Yoru!" I call for my favorite informant and surrogate little brother.

Yoru comes running into the palace living room in record time. I swear to God I can see a dog's tail wagging as fast as an electric fan stuck on his behind.

"Yeah, Aniki! What do you need of me?"

I beckon him to sit next to me, which he happily complies.

"Yoru, first, I have a question for you. Have you ever heard of 'Shingu' before?"

The boy in question puts a puzzled expression on his face. "Those were the creations of the Second Emperor, right? I heard they were inferior to the Teigus, though. Why would you be curious about them, Aniki?"

I lift the book I acquired into his view.

"Well, Yoru, reading about the Empire's history has given me some new knowledge; the escapades of the Second Emperor especially caught my attention. Although the Shingus were scrapped as failures, they could still prove to be a nasty surprise to the Empire if they were used against them. Also, I have other plans regarding the Shingus as well."

Hearing my reasoning, the boy tries to study my face to decipher my hidden message. He'd think of what else can be done to a Shingu, already proven to be an inferior weapon...

Realization dawns on Yoru and a look of utter shock comes upon his face.

"YOU'RE PLANNING ON COPYING THE SECOND EMPEROR AND TRY TO CREATE YOUR OWN TEIGU!"

Reinforced eardrums or not, that still hurts.

"Indeed I am, Yoru. Good job catching the hidden meaning behind my words, but I am not going to **try** like the Second Emperor. I am going to **succeed... **unlike the Second Emperor."

I then reach behind Yoru and smack him across the head. "Don't yell so loudly, you can break someone's eardrums! Plus, what're you going to do if there's a spy nearby? Have some control of yourself, geez." I said, a slight twitch on my eyebrow.

"Owww, I gotcha, I gotcha. I'm guessing you want me to tell everyone to try to find information regarding the Shingu and where they might be, then?"

"Exactly. Now go and relay my orders. I have an important individual I feel like visiting... A potential ally."

Yoru nods, "I understand, We'll be changing our efforts to the discovery of the Shingu."

Before he leaves, I stop him with a hand on his wrist.

"Also, Yoru, please keep up with your exercises... if you want to learn that super cool thing I want to teach you, that is."

He silently agrees, then pulls his arm away before exiting, mumbling about 'stupid finger exercises' on the way out.

Now, to move on to the next step, which is to secure allies within the Empire. Most of them are corrupt and useless, their only use being warm-up practice for me and Night Raid. Those I want to recruit are few and far in between; honest and morally upright individuals who strive for a change. Their political and military power may be limited by the Empire, but they're a force all the other players can't ignore. I know a few of them have already joined the Revolutionary Army, but my target this time hasn't yet.

I don't really feel like joining forces with the Revolutionary Army, not because of my altercations with their black ops unit, no. Thing is, an army has a command structure, of which will be implemented into the new Empire when their revolution succeeds. After that, in the near future, someone like Honest will come and repeat the whole thing again. It's something I see too much during the 7 decades before the Great Holy Grail War; an endless cycle doomed to repeat itself.

What salvation truly means is to have their principles reformed and changed for peace, harmony... and cheesy as it sounds, love. They wave around these principles to gather forces, but in their heart they reject the very foundation they believe.

It's time for change.

Former Prime Minister Chouri. He lost his position when the new Emperor took the throne and gave Honest the position instead. Chouri has publicly spoken against some of the current Prime Minister's plans and suggestions, marking the former Prime Minister with a nice, big, red target on his back for assassination.

He's a valuable ally to have. Convincing him to support me will give me a proper foothold in the Empire, and he can provide me with the resources I need.

Now, how am I supposed to protect him before and after I recruit him? He's going to be targeted by the capital, no doubt about that, and I can't be constantly watching over him every second of the day. None of my subordinates can effectively fight either, not against the elites the Empire will send.

Ideally, i have to use long-range recoinassance and automaton system, like the golems the Yggdmillenia is so fond of. But, no matter the amount of spell I have in my disposal through Almighty Key, I lack the resources and skill to operate that system to its optimum potential.

Maybe a seal-type system? It doesn't have to do a complex magecraft, only basic defenses that enables those in its protection to escape. If I key the trigger well enough, it should be able to respond against normal attacks.

Argh, but the Teigus they use aren't normal! There's only 27 out of 48 Teigus that have been discovered by my network, leaving nearly 50% of them unaccounted for. Not to mention the ones between the 27 that have additional unknown abilities.

Damn, I'm going in circles!

The frustration is getting to me, I admit. It already made me hit my desk in anger with my arm...

My arm, which have my faded Command Seals on it.

'_That's it!'_

XxXx

I'm not often surprised, but this is amazing.

I'm currently surveying the area around Chouri's home by a local vantage point. Key to my plan is to not be detected by the masses, to conceal my movements from all sides. My meeting with Chouri have to be between me and him alone... maybe I can accommodate a trusted attendant or two, but privacy is priceless now.

However, what genuinely shocked me is the condition of the people around his house.

They're... happy.

The civilians seemed more lively, with genuine smiles on their faces, and none of the wary looks that I am used to seeing on the rest of the common folk living in the Imperial capital. I didn't see one guard misuse their power during my way to Chouri's home, and children are happily playing around the streets. The capital, in contrast, are filled with people always in a hurry, only wanting to spend as little time as possible in the streets and under the eyes of the Empire.

Now I feel bad about sneaking into his home. Most likely, even if I show up unannounced and ask nicely, the guards will probably let me maltz right in. The only certain thing is that I made the correct choice to try and recruit him. If I can't, at least I can keep him away from danger.

The area I'm looking at has a modest size, barely half of my current base, showing Chouri's modesty. The security details are at least operating properly, unlike Aria's former guards. They're sharp and competent, evident to everyone just by sight. The patrol pattern is also difficult to pinpoint, and his house is cleverly designed to minimize hiding places and blind spots. All in all, a difficult place to infiltrate.

For normal humans, that is.

Slowly, I begin to thin my presence, blending in with nature. It's a skill I tried to imitate from spies I've encountered, and by analyzing the Assassin-class's Presence Concealment. After refining it with Semiramis, I can use it to such an extent that an Archer-class Servant will have difficulty in detecting me, if I don't make any sudden movements or attacks.

Quickly, I scaled the outer wall, catapulting myself to a nearby tree, where I immediately jump to a small enclosure near the roof as a pair of guards come round. The route I've already mapped requires me to be very precise and silent, but it's still nowhere near my limits. After all, I'm dealing with normal soldiers, not Divine-level familiars that can level mountains.

Just after the guards passed me, I leap to a balcony sideways across from me, before jumping to the flat roof and sneaking pass through the roof access door when the guards on the roof aren't looking. Wow, I feel like in those video games when you play as a bunch of assassins in fake cities...

Inside, I'm greeted with simple, homely decorations and furniture, again highlighting Chouri's character. It's not as heavily guarded as the exterior, but it's designed to be open and natural, with minimal things that obstructs vision. Great for snipers and archers, not great for any other types of assassin. Plus, I have a feeling that this Chouri isn't a man that fears death. If he does, he'll never resist the Empire in the first place, I suppose.

Shirou landed close to the wall, and hid in the shadows to scout his surroundings.

The good thing about the house's architecture is that I have no need to Alter my vision to account for contrasting lights. I imagine, in the day, sunlight can freely illuminate the corridors, creating a refreshing and energetic feel. Now, at night, strategically placed lamps inside the house and torches on the outside provide optimal lighting, certainly very warm and romantic.

I simply traverse the ceiling upside down, letting any guards and staffs through under me. Thank God for enchanted shoes (with multiple functions!).

Nearing the former Minister's office, I see two guards standing by the door. I initially wanted to approach from the window outside his office, but the area was too open to my liking. In its place, I have to contend with facing a couple of guards, but that beats facing a battalion of them.

I drop down in front of them, Left Hand – Xanadu Matrix already filled with Prana and activated. The guards' eyes glaze over before they can even make a single noise, leaving them standing there looking pretty.

As I reach my hand towards the door handle, I notice my mistake. There's another presence beside Chouri inside the room, and it's radiating killing intent toward the door – that is, to me. However, I can't really halt my motion, but my instincts tell me it's not a danger I can't handle.

I use the spear's momentum, thrusting from the door opening at frightening speed, to pull the attacker behind me and head over heels, disarming... her?... in an instant. Clearly, she's protecting Chouri, so injuring her is a no-go. I smoothly caught her in my arms, while kicking the spear away from us.

"Wha-"

This close, I can't help but notice the beauty before me. Slender, trained muscles, yet my arms can feel the natural softness of a woman. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, common in these parts, with a face that can't be much older than my physical appearance. That face is currently in shock, mouth gaping wide, though I think it's common when you're suddenly flipped through the air and ended face-to-face with this handsome young man.

That's not narcissism, but a fact, okay?!

Gently, I lower her down, before the former statesman in front of me have a go instead.

Chouri's face is similarly shocked. The girl immediately takes a stance beside her... father, or uncle, I'm not that sure. Their face are similar enough, but I can't really recall their familial relations from the data Yoru gave me.

The girl is called Spear, if I'm not mistaken. A disciple of the Imperial Fist, she specializes in her namesake weapon. Ah, now I remember. She's Chouri's daughter from his deceased wife, though other physical information is scarce. I respect her desire and ability to defend her father, and even more now that she's taken a CQC stance.

An old voice rang out.

"Spear, that will be enough."

"But, Father! This man just waltzed in here without any warning or notification! He's dangerous!" Even during the conversation, she never takes her eyes off me, even after I intentionally relaxed my body. '_She's decent.'_

"Now, now, if he was here to hurt me, I don't think he would have been so gentle in disarming you."

Her face turned scarlet, perhaps in a mix of anger and embarrassment, before lowering her stance. She's still glaring at me, though. I feel sweat building up on my forehead. Sometimes, I curse myself to be this much of a wimp in front of an innocent glare from a pretty face.

But now I don't have to worry about accidentally killing the girl in a counterattack if she jumps me, I can start negotiating. Come to think of it, both of them are wearing winter clothing indoors, along with the gloves and caps. Are they leaving immediately?

Chouri begins the inevitable conversation. "First off, young man, may I ask who you are and your purpose for being here?"

"My name is Shirou Kotomine. I have read about your exploits in the Imperial government and found you to be a person of great interest. In turn, I was hoping a deal could be struck between the two of us." I reply, giving a bow of respect. No need to beat around the bush, here, since I don't have that much time.

Chouri puts on a more serious face. "It seems to me, Shirou, you aren't one of those capital dogs trying to cause me trouble, I am usually a good judge of character, but I cannot merely just trust your words. I have spoken out against Honest's plans for the future... you very well may be someone after my head."

I chuckle. "Of course you shouldn't trust me off the bat! If you did, well, I do not need the help of an incompetent fool. For your wariness, I praise you. However, I truly mean no harm." I raise both of my hands in a gesture of peace, while increasing the pressure I'm giving off. "I know, for a fact, both of you have realized that not even everyone here together can prevent me from doing anything I want."

Spear tenses up. ready to try and strike out against me again, but Chouri raises his arm to stop her.

"I do recognize the fact that you are a powerful warrior. Being able to disarm my daughter like you did requires great skill. That, however, does not make me more trusting of you, Shirou Kotomine. You snuck into my office, instead of asking for an appointment with me. That doesn't help you at all with this whole trust situation."

"Then tea, perhaps?" I gesture towards a cabinet on the wall. "I view drinking tea to be a civilized and universal gesture of pure conversation with no violence. Can we do that?"

Chouri is slightly surprised by the suggestion, but decides to play along. He calls for a servant to go fetch him, his daughter, and myself some tea.

Until the tea arrives, there is no more conversation. Even after the tea arrives, no one starts to speak for a few moments, until I notice that the tension present from earlier diffused ever so slightly.

Taking a sip from my tea, I sit down in a chair in front of Chouri's desk.

"It's delicious," I commended. "And it's very gracious of you not to put any additives in it."

"He's not a coward like you, fool!" Spear harshly retorted. "Speak ill of him again, and I'll-"

I cut her off before it gets too long. "I'm talking about sugar and milk, _brat_. Are you on your period?"

"Th-That... how vulgar...!"

We're cut off by a hearty laugh from Chouri. His elderly face is flush with excitement, although his chest is heaving at a dangerous level for someone his age. Maybe I need to check on him later...

"...fufu, ehehe..." His laughter dying down, he then faces me and his stunned daughter. "My apologies, Shirou-san. We're just talking about her marriage proposals before you arrived, so she's a bit jumpy."

"Father!"

"-and this is why you're still single, Spear."

Again, her face flushes red, even redder than it was before. "That doesn't have anything to do with this! I-I mean, he's a guest... so..." Her voice becomes meeker and meeker, until she is quiet.

'_Finally, the grown-up conversation can start...'_

"Chouri-san, let's make it easy to start. You ask me some questions and I'll respond. In turn, I might ask you a question. Does that sound reasonable to you?"

Chouri nods, accepting the the terms of discussion. "First, is Shirou Kotomine your real name?"

I sigh. "Not technically. You can say it is my adopted name. My full name is a mouthful, and the people that took care of me gave me their last name of Kotomine. To save you the trouble asking, I come from a land very far away from the Empire, so my name is fairly different."

Now, it shouldn't be a problem to me to give my real name to him, but a certain habit from my Servant days to conceal my true name still remains. I suppose, deep down, it carries with it a small amount of fragility, no matter how I reassure myself otherwise. Regardless, it's not important to this conversation, and I'm technically answering him perfectly.

Chouri accepts the answer easily, sensing no deceit. "What is your goal in talking to me?"

I take another sip of tea. "Like I said earlier, I wanted to strike a deal with you, a partnership... or alliance, per say. I know you're no fan of the way things are done in the capital."

Chouri nods.

"You have actively spoken against the current Prime Minister, making you a target for future assassination. A fact I believe you are aware of."

I receive another nod.

"Then, it is simple. We are two men, with similar goals and a common enemy: the corruption plaguing the Empire. When I arrived, I was disgusted by what I have seen. I have started the beginnings of my own revolutionary cell. Being partners with someone who is known to be good to the people, and tries his best to end this corruption, will help make me stand out and bring more to my cause. In return, I will offer you protection from those who may wish you-" I then look over to Spear. "or those close to you, harm."

Chouri starts rubbing his bald head in contemplation of my offer.

"How can you, only one man, protect me and my daughter from those who wish us harm? I know the capital finds me to be thorn in their side, and I will most likely be targeted. When I do, they will probably send some of their best after me. I have already contemplated defecting to the Revolutionary Army. What can you, one man, offer me that they couldn't?"

"I can understand why you would doubt my abilities to keep you safe. I am, indeed, one man, and the rest of those working for me are not the combat type. But, for right now I am enough. My faction is fairly new and currently unknown. A very big advantage. In combat ability, I do not have the same force that the Revolutionary army has, but I guarantee you that I am stronger than anyone that the Revolutionary Army has working for them. I alone took down two members of Night Raid after assassinating their target, the corrupt oil merchant Gamal."

It's a bit of a bragging rights to me, as loathsome as it is. Everyone will naturally fear and respect those stronger than them, no matter their original or future relationships with each other. And the word 'strong' is, within the Revolutionary Army, synonymous with Night Raid. My claims may sound like a bluff to the general public, but even if it's a lie my Charisma will take care of the little details.

I observe Chouri giving his daughter a glance, only to find out she's still awe-struck from my earlier comment. Then, he carefully examines my expression, but since I never told a lie even once during our conversation, this side's a dead end as well. He has no choice but to accept my proposal.

I continue on. "If you defect to the Revolutionary Army, you'll just be milked for your knowledge, and deposited somewhere in their main headquarters like a gofer. With me, it will be a strict partnership. We will work together fairly and not try to deceive each other. If you have a request of me, I will do my best to accomplish it, and vice versa. Definitely not the same deal you would receive from the Revolutionary Army."

A man like him always prefer to get involved in whatever he's doing, unlike the scums of the capital. Offering him freedom of movement is a piece that only I can provide, and it'll be good for me as well, personally. The more partners I can gather, the more I can do in multiple fronts.

Chouri's still thinking. Before he finished, I decide to give the finishing blow.

I stand up, while pulling out a piece of paper from my pocket. It's covered in runes that composes a single magic ritual, and I place it on his desk.

I can see he's confused. By giving him this, it'll create a suggestion of 'debt' from him to me. A man of character, now the former statesman is already in my grasp. In his mind, he'll want to 'return the favor' in the future, which means our partnership is set. But, for now, an explanation.

"This piece of paper has properties of an ability from my home land. When you are in a time of dire need, pour your will into this paper, and I will come to assist you no matter what. It is only good for one use, so make sure you use it wisely, and keep it on you at all times."

I start to leave. "Thank you for the tea, and the pleasant conversation. I hope you will think about what I have proposed, and we will see each other again in the future. Remember, always keep that paper on you!"

Before Chouri can stop me, I walk out of his office, leaving him alone with his still-baffled daughter. Let both of them contemplate the words of one Shirou Kotomine.


	6. Chapter 5 (Rewrite)

I mix up my attack, following a fake full-on straight with a power jab. It easily catches Yoru off-guard, as he's sent sprawling across the ground.

It's one of my several pratice sessions with Yoru, as part of my promise with him. Mainly, I use it as warm-up for my own practice sessions, one that mainly focuses on my swordmanship and Magecraft exercises. After seeing some skilled actions lately, by Night Raid and the Imperial forces, I can never be too careful in a fight. I've converted the shed into a Workshop, too.

Yoru instantly gets up, ready for another beatdown. His determination lifts my spirit up as well, so no harm done.

"Yoru, I think that's enough for now. Let's grab some food and water. We haven't had lunch yet."

"One more time, Aniki. I need to get stronger if I want to fight beside you one day!" That being said, he rushes at me recklessly, determined to land at least one hit.

His stamina is excellent. Just... well, the techniques I taught him haven't sunk in yet, so he's rubbish. I simply dodge his attacks with minimal footwork and body weaving, then I counterattack twice to his face, one sweep to his feet. Finally, he seems to be out of breath, for now.

"Nope, I'm pretty sure we're done here for now. Give it at least until after lunch before you try again." I say while offering an arm to him.

While nursing his cheek and limping around, he mutter, "Yeah, lunch sounds pretty good right now."

Two of my subordinates bring out some sandwiches and water for us to eat.

As I'm eating, I notice the strange demdeanor of the boy next to me.

"Yoru."

His head snapped up in surprise.

"Yoru, tell me, what's bothering you?"

Yoru looked down at his sandwich. "There's nothing wrong. I'm fine."

'_I don't need to point out that's a lie.'_

"You're _not_ fine. The Yoru I know would have finished that sandwich in an instant, and don't deny it! Quite frankly, you can be a glutton like that."

He makes a complicated face, a mix of shock and annoyance. After a few moments, though, he folds and sighs. "OK, there might be _something_ bothering me."

I let him continue, and he takes a breath first.

"I feel like... I'm not doing enough. I know we've had this conversation before, but I want to do more than just gathering information! I see you going out, cleaning up the streets of the capital, visiting important political figures that could become powerful allies in the future, and all I'm doing is just talking to people in the streets. I want to go with you, Aniki! I want to fight when you fight, where you fight! You're the only person I have left in my life, and I want to be more useful to you. _So use me!_"

His voice becomes more and more animated as he talks, and into a crescendo on the last few words. His words have touched me, honestly. His drive to succeed is a strong point to him, however... There's something, some light in his eyes, that makes me worry. And not in a good way.

I force his lowered head to face my eyes.

"Yoru. I appreciate your words, and I promise you... no, I swear, one day, you will be able to fight beside me. But, Yoru," my grey eyes harden, "never, _ever_ refer to yourself as an object that should be used. You are a living being, not a tool to be used and thrown away."

'_Hypocrite, much?'_

"If I hear you refer to yourself like that again, I will beat the living shit out of you, and I will never send you out to the field again. _Do you understand me?_"

Yoru visibly gulps, as I put more pressure on his head and with my glare. He nods, not a satisfying a sight as I'd like, but it'll do. For now.

"Hurry up with your sandwich. After you're done, I'm going to teach you a style of fighting that I feel could work for you."

Yoru's eyes sparkle at those words. The young teen finishes his sandwich in record time.

I lead him back to the fields we use for sparring, filled with a few wooden training dummies I set up.

"Even from the beginning, I was preparing your body to learn this fighting style."

Yoru rises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"This style is called 'Snake'. The main idea of the style is to confuse the opponent, and kill them before they can understand the mechanics of the fighting style. The crux of the fighting style is to keep your arms flexible and whip-like, striking in unexpected angles to keep your strikes from forming any concrete patterns. In practice, it is a really difficult and complex style, but if you can execute it correctly, then you will be able to take down someone stronger and more imposing than you, before they have the chance to take you seriously." I explain lengthily as he walks closer to a training dummy.

"I used this style earlier against you without telliing you. Did you notice?" To my question, Yoru only gives me an embarassed smile, inciting a shake from my head. "I don't use it often, merely as a compliment to my main style."

Without warning, I let loose a barrage of left jabs, then I send a right straight at a training dummy. I relax my right in the beginning of the motion, before letting my joints to work and curve my fist, straight into the back of the dummy's head.

I imagine the size of Yoru's eyes as he watches me on. 'Snake' is a style using unpredictability as its main advantage, and sends hits from the enemies' blind spots to their vitals. Its attacks doesn't require the user to move outside the enemies' vision, but utilize rapid shifts in direction to surprise the enemy. Human's eyes and reflexes aren't built for instant and pointy changes in direction, which is why, using a boxing analogy, a ducking move is very effective. Simply put, immediate movements to the outside an enemy's range of vision will buy you a split second when you're out of his sight, ready to attack.

My assistant's body is still young and flexible, giving him a good foundation to learn Snake. I wish I met him a few years back, as his body mature, it'll be more and more rigid and unsuitable for the style. Snake requires continuous training from an early age to fully master, which I don't expect him to. This training only serves to give him a means to defend himself against a superior opponent. No more, no less.

Ah, he's getting a bit distracted, no doubt imagining himself as a comic book hero using this style. I cough once to attract his attention back to Planet Earth.

"Now, Yoru," I put my hands up in a stance, "Let us begin your first lesson, shall we?"

I show him my best impression of a Glasgow grin.

Good. He's trembling already.

XxXx

After knocking Yoru around for 3 hours, I called it a day for his training. Again, I had to give him props for not giving up, even after I... _maybe_ hit him a little bit too hard to knock those self-deprecating ideas out of his head. Leaving him to the care of the maids, some of my informants came and told me about the drug trafficking and prostitution ring, ran by some officials of the Empire.

It only caused my sombre mood to worsen.

Those... pigs, they're profiting from other people's own misfortune and despair. They didn't care about wrecking other people's lives, both directly and indirectly connected to them. All they care about was themselves, about pleasure and greed. Sadly, it's a never-ending problem in the world, no matter how much I eradicate them. Like cockroaches, they withstood all attacks, and came back as parasites to humanity. In my mind, they're on the same level as those insects, as well.

Because humans could only attain happiness from other's misery.

The area I was pointed towards was simply called 'The Slum', appropriate enough. It's miserable living conditions was caused, and maintained, by those oppresors... simply because so the people could only count on them as a ray of hope.

Bastards... No swear words in the world were enough to describe them.

However, the parts I arrived in was... lively, to put it into words. They're poor, evident from their personal hygiene and choices of fashion, but everywhere I look, all I saw were hardworking people: men, women, children.

It only meant I hadn't dug deep enough.

I knew very well that appearances could be decieving. I was only monitoring the main streets, during daylight, so I assumed I'd only observe some superficial actions. Maybe I should return later at night... At least, I'd marked the building used as the traffickers' base to deal with them later.

'_Oops, hold that thought.'_

My ears caught a commotion not too far away. Then, not even half a minute later, two familiar figures passed below me, chased by a small mob.

"IT'S TIME TO SETTLE YOUR GAMBLING DEBTS!"

"I WANT THE MONEY YOU SCAMMED OFF MY BROTHER!"

Yeah, it's definitely them.

From their... civilized conversation, I immediately assumed Leone as the cause of the ruckus. She definitely had this 'troublemaker' moniker slap bang across her face, and Tatsumi was only dragged along by her. Maybe they had a mission together today, I wasn't very sure, but this mustn't be in their plans for today.

'_Now, let's see the fruit of my conversation with Lubbock...'_

Predictably, like the outgoing lady she seemed to be, Leone went into a bar after shaking off her pursuers. Tatsumi was lost somewhere in the commotion, but I decided against following him as it'd be an unproductive investment of my time. Of course, I didn't want him in any danger, but I presume daylight would be a safe time for a young man like him to walk around town a bit.

Well, at least I hoped not to have to dig my elbows into her stomach again...

Pushing the doors of the bar open, I quickly identified Leone, her blond hair and unique choice of clothing making her stood out. Additionally, even within this damp room, her scent wafted easily into my nostrils. I never took note of it, as my main sense of detecting people was my sight and touch, but since coming here, my senses became sharper and sharper every single day, as I adjusted myself to daily life in this world. For now, I could follow the mix of sweat, perfume and pheromones unique to her even with my eyes closed.

Her back tensed as I stepped through the door, so I decided to forgo subtlety and sat right next to her at the bar.

Fortunately, her tension lowered slightly as I took my seat, though her body language was still very wary of me. Their group must've decided not to oppose me, after I sent Lubbock back with his tails between his legs.

She's a strong woman, though, and still managed to make her smile looked natural as she faced me. She even draped an arm over my shoulder in a playful manner, although I suspect it's only to reduce my close-combat capabilities, being this close.

I wasn't a Saint just for show, but I she was a very beautiful lady. Not unworldly like Semiramis but defiinitely a beauty in her own right.

Her soft breath tickled my ear as she spoke in a seductive voice.

"You know... it isn't nice to leave a girl all by herself at night, especially after being so rough with her." She pressed herself closer to me. "I'm so _soorreee_ all over the place, know what I mean?"

There're immeasureable amounts of murderous intent from the men behind me, so much I wondered if the devil himself had manifested right there and then.

Well, I could play that game, too.

"I apologize for that. I did inform you and your friend that I was in a hurry, and had someplace I needed to be. It's not my fault that you two were so forceful in making me stay."

Leone grinned, enjoying the current situation.

"But you took what we wanted! It was only fair for you to give us something in return... leaving my friend stuck by herself in a corner as we tussled! You didn't even give us your name," Leone pouted slightly at the end of her statement.

I put on a look of sorrow. "Again, I apologize for my rude behavior. My name is Shirou Kotomine, but just call me Shirou. If I heard correctly, your name is Leone right? How may I make up my rude behavior?"

Leone grinned wickedly for a second, something I sadly missed. "You heard correct! My name is Leone, and I _think_ I know the perfect way for you to make up for your awful behavior from back then...!"

Leone turned to the bartender, before yelling, "Bartender! This white haired young man here said he would buy this beautiful onee-sama drinks! Load me up!"

'_Shit.'_

We switched to serious mode ten minutes into the drinking match. I could metabolize my system faster to avoid getting drunk, but this self-proclaimed onee-sama in front of me just looked like a drunk wench. Downing mug after mug, but her eyes kept their clarity, which I hypothesize was due to her Teigu changing her body's metabolism cycle. But _damn_, this girl could drink.

"Before we start anything, I'd like to sincerely apologize for our last meeting."

I tried to pull an innocent look as I said that. It's an honest statement, but I was sometimes told I looked like a suspicious snob, by Karna. It worked, as at last her drinking was stopped momentarily.

Her face also lost its playfulness. She smiled at me softly. "Stop. This drink'll taste bad if you look like that." She took a gulp, and winced. "Agh, there goes my mood..."

"How is she? I mean... after that night?"

To that inquiry about Akame, the blonde clenched her fist a bit tighter, causing the mug to crack. She didn't seem angry at me; her expression was more of a regret, rather than hate.

"That bad?" I asked. "Leone, I can make her feel better, if that's wha-"

"She's fine," Leone cut me off, "she's a strong girl."

After a thought, I pulled out a vial from my pocket, slipping it into her empty palm. To her questioning look, I answered, "For the daydreams."

A hypnosis that strong could cause not just nightmares, but also delusions in the middle of the day. It's already a dangerous symptom in itself, but the black-haired girl's occupations made it more so. I couldn't afford Night Raid to be weakened at all, to achieve salvation for the people...

The lioness made a face. "I'm sure you know about that, don't you?" Her tone was slightly hostile, though she hadn't emanated any killing intent.

"I was overboard. That's why I kept apologizing, for what it's worth."

She closed her eyes for a moment, reigning in her desire to rip me to shreds. Not that it'd work, mind you, but it's a good sign. Sighing, she's back to a small smile. "Well, it's business risk. Rather, we should be thanking you for letting us off."

'_If you're this mellow all the time, I would've develop a crush on you, you know?'_ I half-jokingly thought.

Instead, I went for her weakness.

"You're a fine woman, Leone."

I looked at her straight in the eyes, without hypnotism this time.

"H-Huh?" Her composure cracked. "Wha-Wha-What are you saying? Jeez!"

She tried to regain her stance, but her face turned scarlet. A woman like her... she's experienced much. I'm sure, despite her youth, her spirit had become jaded after dealing in this world for too long. Someone like her was always weak to sincerity and innocence...

It's a compliment she's heard often, but said with spontaneity and conviction like I just did, it left a different mark on her heart. If only I had this knowledge back in my youth, my dream would've been achieved easier... Even so, using words to manipulate someone's heart so coldly and mathematically always left a bad taste in my mouth, however results are important.

"Do I look like I'm lying?" I pressed onwards, cornering her for a KO. Staring straight into her eyes, which were trying desperately not to look at my face, I piled on the combintations.

"You put up a strong front, playing the big sister role for others beside you. I understand it very well; after all, who wouldn't want to protect their precious family? So, you try to be playful, to be cheerful, just to reassure them that 'it's all good'.

"Looking at you, people always have misconceptions and misunderstandings. They think you're brash, rude, and uncontrollable... And even your teammates think so too, right?"

To that question, she didn't even try to retort.

"You're loyal, brave, beautiful..." She went red to her ears, still looking away from me. "Strong... caring... an alcoholic." I get a punch to the arm for that one.

I pulled her closer, forcing her to look at me. At this point, I could care less of what the other guests thought about us.

Gone was her confidence, in her place, a meek, shy woman. The image gap was huge from the tease she she presents herself as.

"Night Raid is lucky to have you." I finish

I stand up, leaving some coins to pay for the bill. I made a gesture to leave. "It was a pleasure talking to you Leone, I hope we can meet again in the future."

XxXx

Just after I left, I saw Tatsumi finally making it to the bar. Regarding the traffickers, I decided to leave it to those two. When I was... chatting with Leone, I noticed a small bag in her trouser's pocket. It had a small logo on it, one I recognized as the brand of drugs used in the red light district to dope the prostitutes there, from the information I gathered.

Okay, buttering up and seducing her like that was low, I admit. I just wanted to sincerely make amends for my actions, and I... ended up going with the flow. Being on her good side was only meant to have her put in a good word for me, to improve my relationship with Night Raid. I could only hope it wouldn't distract her from her mission.

Thinking about it more deeply, I resisted the urge to bang my face to the nearest solid object. Repeatedly.

Now, it'd be a waste to just went home like this. Maybe I could patrol the area? Night Raid often did it, according to some sources, so I'd like to try my hand at it.

Killing intent.

My body instinctively turned around and head towards the source. My head's already formulating plans to ensure maximum survival for everyone, all the while limiting my Prana output to a minimum for stealth.

It's a wide park. There's three young girls and... a dog?

One girl had pink hair tied into twintails, with pink eyes and a pink dress, the only article that wasn't pink was the black leggings that she had on. Her small body was carrying a gun one-and-a-half her size, showing her tremendous physical ability. The girl beside her was Night Raid's Sheele, recognizable from the some new wanted posters around town. Some people from my old world might scream 'Power Rangers' at their colour-matching getup, as the taller woman wore all purple. Of course, her Teigu, the scissor Extase, wasn't purple, as was Pumpkin the gun, held by all-pink girl.

I was a bit hysterical about their choice of clothing. What's with their taste in clothes?! Aren't they assassins!? Pink and purple don't really blend in with the dark...

The last girl had the garb of an Imperial Guard. She had auburn hair tied into a ponytail that flowed to her lower back with amber eyes. It seemed the dog belonged to her.

I remember... there's the infamous biological Teigu owned by the Empire, Hekatonkheires. I had to admit, the dog was a far cry from the hundred-armed guardian giant from the Greek mythology, so I was confused at first.

It showed one of its capabilities by enlarging itself, making it looked like a Hulk-puppy.

Much as my desire to keep Night Raid's combat potential from dwindling, I decided to stand back and observe them. I'd assessed Tatsumi, Akame, Leone, and Lubbock, so the both of them piqued my curiosity.

Oh, how I would regret it later.

XxXx

Mine is the rear support, while Sheele is the vanguard.

It's a mistake to yell out your comrade's name in the heat of battle, especially if you're a member of a secret squad. Fools.

Really, my expectations for Night Raid has become a roller-coaster.

The petite Mine fires her gun at the dog, but it shrugs it off and regenerates quickly. Sheele tries to overwhelm and cut apart the Imperial Guard in front of her, wielding the giant scissor with incredible dexterity, but the other person keeps her at medium range with a mixture of guns and prostethic parts. It's a balanced tag-team battle, so it can only develop into a battle of attrition.

Unless... one of them is holding the balance-breaker.

Pumpkin increases its firepower the more danger its user is in, so Mine's baiting Hekatonkheires and luring it around, always managing to escape at the last second with a powerful blast. The dog's stamina is slowly crumbling down, faster than the petite assassin's, and the fight begins to tip towards Night Raid's advantage.

Frustratingly, Sheele's Teigu is incredibly one-dimensional. Its main strength is its invincibility to damage, with its trump card being a flashbang. A strictly close-quarters weapon. The curvy woman is handling it extremely well, but because of Extase's limitation, she's spending far too long to finish her part of the fight.

Far, far too long.

"**KORO! SECRET SKILL, BERSERKER!"**

'_A very fitting name for a skill.'_

Similar to Mad Enhancement, the Teigu's body begins to redden and bulge larger. Regarding the effects to its mental capabilities, well, I'm not sure it's smart to begin with...

What's evident is it's sudden increase in speed and strength. It manages to catch Mine off guard, cutting off her movements in a blink of an eye. It swings its arm, catching her, and if that log-sized thing squeezes her small body... it'll be gruesome.

Mine's only chance is for Sheele to kill its owner, forcing the mad dog into dormancy.

In a display of immaturity, however, the purple-clad woman rushes in and cuts Hekatonkheires's arm.

'_She's an idiot.'_

I'm contemplating jumping in.

Too late.

In slow motion, i see a gun appears from the Guard's mouth, barrel smoking. Sheele's stomach has a red spot in it that's growing larger. Before I can throw my Black Keys, a humongous jaw bites her in half.

I look into her eyes.

"_**Save... her.."**_

That's not a request I can deny. My time with the Church has influenced me at least enough to honor a dying request.

A blinding light explodes from Extase in her hand.

The surrounding Imperial Guards drop dead from a Black Key through each of their heads. Before Mine's body touches the ground, i catch her bridal-style in a flash, then activate Prana Burst to disappear from the scene.

Just from being in that thing's grasp, Mine's arms, torso, and right leg is badly damaged. Not critical, but enough to send a normal person into a shock.

Turns out, it's not the physical injury that I should be concerned with.

"-ee... She... eel..."

She's screaming, moaning, whimpering, sobbing, all in the same time. Like a broken record, the mix of voices keeps on playing, until she passed out on her own.

The good news... well, I don't have to slow down to prevent further internal injuries, since her physical conditioning as an assassin is top-notch. That's good.

Right?

I don't bother with the doors, instead choosing to go through the window of the guest room.

My subordinates' response time deserves praise, but I instantly bark for warm water and clean towels, sending them sprawling to follow my orders. Yoru arrives with a medical kit, but I dismiss him to stand guard on the mansion's perimeter.

'_This'll be cutting it close...!'_

"**Left Arm – Xanadu Matrix!"**


	7. Chapter 6 (Rewrite)

It's so vivid.

She saw a huge white palm engulfed her, too fast for her to react. It curled its fingers around her body, and she could hear her body cracked in multiple places. The taste in her mouth at that time... was of death.

Then, the white prison around her lost its strength. What appeared from beyond it was her comrade, clad in all purple, swinging her prized weapon.

Then her savior jerked her body, a red hole appearing in her belly. Two gaping sets of teeth appeared over the woman's head and shoulder, shutting down with a grim certainty.

She felt warm liquid bathed her face.

Her pink eyes met purple... and she saw a smile...

Everything went white.

"SHEELEEEE!"

With her body covered in cold sweat, Mine winced at the headache caused by her certain movement. But she could care less about the pain.

Sheele... Shelee was...

Tears started pooling around the corners of Mine's eyes, threatening to spill with her choked sobs of anguish. It took around fifteen minutes for the pink-haired assassin to calm down.

A white, luxurious, clean room greeted her fatigued mind. The bed and blanket were ridiculously soft. The room only had the essential furniture, but all of them were top of the line.

'_Yeah, definitely not the Empire's prison.'_

Taking a deep breath, she started to try recalling previous night's events, after... after _that_. She's definitely not in a state to escape. No, someone definitely carried her here in high speed, as she vividly remembered the G-force she experienced after Extase exploded with light.

Now though, there's more important matters to discuss.

"WHO CHANGED MY CLOOOOTHEESSSS!?" Mine shrieked loud enough for everyone in the mansion to hear.

XxXx

I'm in the middle of going over some notes with Yoru in the living room, when my eardrums is hammered by a loud voice. It's a good thing I've reinforced my mansion as tough as a fortress, or I suspect some windows may have shattered.

'_She has some impressive lungs, despite her size.' _

"Damn, are you sure she's human and not a banshee, Aniki? That scream probably ruptured my eardrums," Yoru said, his hands on his ears.

Not replying to the joke, I make my way to the guest room, my loyal assistant on tow.

However, as we reach the guest room's door, I feel a sense of foreboding.

'_She'll attack the instant this door opens.' _With that thought, I let Yoru open the door.

Just on cue, a pink whirlwind tackles him to the ground. Two small fists pound his face and chest, but he spins his leg around in a flying triangle choke. Deciding against killing her, I'm glad that he simply chooses to use it to flung her away. In a quick step, he's already ready to knock her out with a punch.

I can see Mine's body staggering off-balance, her body definitely hasn't fully healed. I don't wish for a guest of mine to be unconcious twice in two days, so I step in and catch Yoru's wrist, while patting away her desperate counterattack with a kick.

"Stand down. Both of you."

Thankfully, the two of them still retain their common sense. Mine sits back down on the bed with a scowl, while Yoru stands diagonally behind me, killing intent still emanating from his eyes.

I try to defuse the situation a bit further.

"Yoru, splendid reaction from you. Spending yesterday as my punching bag seems to do you good." Yoru sheepishly looks away, so I turn my attention to the young assassin. "And you. I know you're upset because of your clothes..." I immediately cut off her response, "And, yes, I was the one that changed them. However, do all Night Raid members blindly attack their savior like that? If so, I'm disappointed."

Blinking away for a moment, the girl finally has a decency to lower her head in apology.

"Just to make sure..." I let my Prana leak out, "I'll send you to accompany your comrade if you try that again."

I don't need visual confirmation to know my threat is working. Maybe _too_ well, as Yoru shifts uncomfortably behind me.

Calming myself down, I order Yoru to leave me alone with Mine. He obediently complies, and shuts the door softly behind me.

Mine opens her mouth to say something, but again I lift my palm to interrupt her.

"I'll start with an apology," I slowly tell her, "I can't save your teammate."

Her hair is long enough to prevent me from reading her eyes, but her fists suddenly clenches the hem of her white one-piece dress. It's one of my maid's sleepwear, which is very... indecent, to say, given her built, but it suits someone Mine's height perfectly enough to be modest. Tears drip down towards the back of her palm.

"Her... her body... Where's it?" Her voice is raspy and slightly incoherent, but I know it's normal. She's even younger than Tatsumi an Akame, so she still has a long way to go to mature. She recognizes me, which is good enough. Lubbock did as I intended.

"I don't know."

Mine nods her head weakly. "Yeah, it'd be too much to ask... I think..."

"She was an idiot."

Hearing those words, Mine explodes in anger.

"What do you mean... BY SHE WAS AN IDIOT?! SHE WAS A GREAT FIGHTER! She's kind, compassionate, and caring! She... she could be slow at times, yeah, but... BUT SHE'S MY FRIEND! Don't you dare..."

She launches her fist at me, even faster than before.

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HER THAT!"

Catching her fist easily, I wait for a sign of a follow-up, but there seems to be none.

"May I elaborate?"

"Hurry the fuck up!"

I let go of her fist and sits down in a nearby chair, gesturing her to do the same. A knock sounds from the wooden door, and one of the butlers comes in with some tea. I'm not sure she's in the mood to drink anything right now, so I let the tea cool on the table without drinking mine.

After he left, I continue on. "I don't doubt anything you claim her to be. It's simply an objective analysis from my part." I stare at her right in the eyes. "She chose to save you. There's nothing wrong with that, but she could've achieved the same objective by killing that Teigu's owner faster. Believe me, she had that chance. She blew it."

I close my eyes, resting my back on the chair. "She was hasty. She panicked. Was that your first mission? No, right?" Mine shakes her head. "So, in the end, it's a misjudgment from her part. Her mistake. A false step that caused her death, your injury, and an Empire's Teigu user to leave away with her life."

I lean forward, putting pressure into my words, "Am I right?"

Now, I notice, the girl in front of me still has a face befitting her age. Soft on the edges, just traces of baby fat still lingers. Strong eyes, high nose... She's got a gallant face, people willl say. Normally, she has a fierce expression on, a mask to hide her weakness and immaturity inside, but she's one of those that you can call beautiful.

Her determination to defend her friend fades ever so slightly form her eyes. She slowly looks away from me, not wanting to admit it just yet. Well, it's fine by me; as long as she doesn't make a ruckus, this silent treatment works as well.

Drinking my tea, I start to leave. "I've contacted your comrades, who should be here soon. If you're hungry, come down to the hall to eat. I won't spoil you."

She shoots a glare at me with that remark, but soon accepts her position.

"And my clothes?"

"In the laundry. Someone will send them to you later." I open the door, but not before one final sentence. "Oh, and wipe that drool from your face."

I shut the door behind me, just in time for it to block a powerfully thrown pillow slamming into me.

"Just go and die already!"

Tatsumi was feeling an inexplicable sense of dread as his group approached the rendezvous point, where they're supposedly going to pick up Mine. He chalked it up as old wounds reopening, for that location... was Aria's old mansion. The place he learnt the truth. The place his childhood friends drew breath for the last time. The place he first met Night Raid. It's a catalyst, he felt, in his early life to get where he was now.

Bulat smacked him on the back, causing him to almost stumble and fall onto the ground.

"Oi! What's up with that, Aniki?!" Tatsumi shouted.

"Tatsumi! Pay attention, we are almost at our destination. A true warrior must always be alert, remember that!" Bulat warned him.

Tatsumi couldn't stay angry at the shining face of his comrade, so he just accepted the advice. The swordsman still had some questions he wanted to ask, though.

"Hey, Aniki, why do you think we're meeting Shirou here, of all places?"

"Well, it's his home base, so that in itself is a huge advantage. Other than that, I'm not sure. You should ask the Boss," the older man replied.

"Good point, Bulat. Howev-" Najenda started her explanation, but was cut off suddenly by a strange feeling passing through her.

The whole group stopped, sensing it as well.

No, not all of them. Leone was still running straight, and stopped a few meters in front of them in confusion.

"Hey, why'd we stop?"

"You didn't feel that just now?" Lubbock questioned. His face looked hysterical, as if he just stared death in the face, and one that he couldn't cheat out of.

"Hmm?" she tilted her head in confusion. "Oh, the field perimeter we just crossed? Yeah, I did. So?"

Lubbock was going to press on, but Najenda stopped the discussion prematurely. "Never mind, Leone. Let's get moving. We're exposed here."

With that, the group shot off into the direction of their target.

XxXx

'_This man... Shirou Kotomine. How come I've never heard of him?'_

Najenda kept on repeating that question over and over again in the last few months, with no solid conclusions. Her experience made her calm in the face of the unknown, but her profession demanded complete knowledge of her opponent. If not, her underlings... no, her _family_, would be in danger every time she sent them out there.

He's an enigma. He appeared out of nowhere, like Tatsumi, with no obvious background or occupation worth mentioning. What they both have in common was their reception to the Empire's ways, and... that's pretty much it. At least, Tatsumi's background checked out, clearing him out of any suspicion when he joined her group.

Oh, Shirou's background checked out as well. However, _it checked out too well_.

His hometown was listed as one of those swallowed by the Empire's machinations. His family was listed dead, with no next of kin. He claimed his appearance was due to coming from a faraway land, which sounded plausible. His current job was real estate developments and public investments, both were legit.

An further digging was a dead end. And that's where the problem began.

'_No one is a dead end,'_ she was often told by her seniors and friends. The world was a surprisingly small place, and if you dig enough, every single human being had a connection with others, no matter how small. For example, Tatsumi himself had a passive connection with Esdeath, though the Night Raid leader was certain the two of them never met, just by tracing their past to a near-common point.

This man, though, was a ghost.

His supposed hometown was only rubble, by the time her informant got there. No other traces of living beings was acquired. No evidence of any survivors, or an exodus to other parts of the land. From literature studies, that town was dead even before she was born, more than five decades ago.

Tracing his roots from his appearance also yielded nothing. There's a country in the far south that had similar physical characteristics, but they lived a secular lifestyle, mainly trading with countries further to the south and east of them. Their population was numerous, along with their indigenous tribes, so it's impossible and impractical to invest any more time and money into this lead.

The most frightening thing was just how _efficient_ he was.

From her subordinates' description, he was still in his late teens or early adulthood. That age wasn't uncommon alongside leaders of other organizations, and there's a few of them even younger, not counting Makoto, the current Emperor.

Since she knew of him, he had established a network of information himself, with capabilities nearly matching her own, in less than a year. He made his presence known everywhere her crew operated. He took over Tatsumi's former captor's business with such smoothness she could've suspected he's the heir all along. Said business had onlu grown and grown, giving him enormous wealth. He's been expanding his operations further and further out of the capital, like a growing, contagious net that's impossible to put down.

Even with such scale of operations, not once had the Revolutionary Army had figured out exactly how he worked.

Every time one of his agents was detected, just as swiftly he or she disappeared, only to pop out in an unrelated area sometime later, out of reach. They tried to question the honest face of his business, trying to make them suspect anything about their anonymous master and spill some useful leads. Instead, what the Army learnt was the Saint-like quality of Shirou Kotomine. Not one of his workers, in both sides of the world, had any doubt in their leader.

As if he had a sixth sense. That's the only rationalizing she was capable of.

The Army had no issue in him stealing their targets. What they, and to an extent her, were afraid of was his untouchability.

Four times. Four times five of Night Raid's finest members had come into contact with him. And in three out of four those occasions, her children were sent back at her safely.

He's said his message, loud and clear: "_You do not concern me, so scram."_

Akame returned broken. Lubbock came back in tears. The first time, Leone cursed at him non-stop back at base, but sang praises when she returned the second time. Only Tatsumi had managed to be unharmed. Yet. And he mostly agreed with Leone's new view of their... acquaintance, to say the least.

He's cordial, that she could determine. He had said things about building a working relationship with Night Raid and the Revolutionary Army, but desired to remain distant and refused to be associated with them. It's a stance she was familiar with, for some of the defectors from the Empire had expressed such things, but it's the first time the other guy held all the bargaining chip.

He's too powerful. Simple as that.

And now her eyes drifted towards Leone, who's leading in front. That... boundary, whatever it was just now, caused a sensation of dread and foreboding that's impossible to ignore or shrug off instantly. She's sure the other members felt the same thing... except for Leone. Her expression and body language didn't even twitch a bit as they crossed that line.

After meeting Shirou Kotomine, the blonde had been... off. She's still the energetic, playful prankster she was before, but her smile had slowly shifted from the predatory grin she often gave off, to a serene, soft smile more befitting a noble girl.

And that's not even putting into account the change in her behavior every time they were discussing about the tanned man. Leone's body language... was akin to a cat petted by its owner. The lioness let her guard down completely, her joints relaxed, and her eyes lost its sharp glare.

It's difficult to tell yet, but... maybe, _maybe_...

Leone was compromised...?

Any musings were cut off as they arrived at their destination.

"SHIROU KOTOMINE, YOU TWO-FACED BASTARD! TAKE RESPONSIBILITY RIGHT NOW, DAMN IT! I'M NOT GOING AWAY UNTIL YOU COME OOOUUUUUTTTT!"

Massaging my temples, I walk towards one of the guest rooms.

"She really does has a mouth on her, doesn't she?" Yoru asks me a rhetorical question.

I can't help my eyes from eyeing my pocket, where my wallet is.

"Yes, Yoru, she does indeed. She has an even bigger thirst for alcohol. Get the gates open. I'll make sure our guest is ready to return to her friends."

I knock on the door lightly, calling out to Mine, "I'm coming in. Your friends are here to get you."

Mine is back in her normal outfit, which has been repaired and cleaned by my maids. Thankfully, it doesn't evolve into a manga scene where I walk in on her while she's changing or naked.

"Are you ready?"

Mine just stares at me. "Yeah. I'm ready. Being with you is worse than being with Tatsumi, after all." She gives me a bit of jeering with her tongue.

After a bit, she stops and bows at me. "Err... but I apologize for that brute shouting in front of your door." She scratches her reddened cheek.

Making our way down, she nearly tackles her teammates at the sight of them. Well, except for Tatsumi. Oof, classic tsundere hit there! It's not effective!

Knowing my tastes, Yoru serves tea for all of us, then stands behind me on guard. He's getting better and better putting on his 'serious face', as he likes to call it, compared to his old temper. We're nicely seated in my wide living room.

Now, to start the show...

"Welcome, Night Raid, to my humble residence," I spread my hands with a little flair.

"Well, all of us know why we're here... But let me tell you, with full sincerity, that I'm both happy and sorry." Seeing the initial confusion, I continue, "Seeing smiling faces lifts my spirit up, you know? But I also regret... not being able to save one more of you..."

Flashes of sadness and anger begin to show from their eyes, mostly to themselves.

The first to gather a smidge of composure is, predictably, their leader, Najenda.

A former general of the Empire, she was critially injured in battle with General Esdeath when the latter was chasing the former, having defected to the Revolutionary Army at the time. She rose in ranks quickly, becoming head of their assassination unit in two short years. Her first recruit was Lubbock, then Akame, Leone, and Bulat, with Sheele and Mine joining soon after.

It's not a widespread information, even to other groups. The ease of which I acquire my information may seem suspicious, borderline inhuman, maybe, but because I use esoteric methods not known to them to do it: Magecraft. Supplying my agents with low-level Mystic Codes, enchanted items, and even simple charms makes their efficiency skyrockets, even with minimal amount of training and experience compared to Night Raid. In addition, I abuse my Revelation and Charisma skill to my limit, even more than before when I was preparing for the Great Holy Grail War.

Speed is the name of the game, now.

The one-eyed leader stares at my eyes. "Why are we _actually_ here? And no jokes, please. No disrespect to you, Kotomine-san, but we're risking a lot, coming here in a group like this..." She leans forward, prosthetic arm clanking. "Which, I need to stress, is one of your conditions. So, please cut straight to the point."

"You sound very mistrusting of me, Najenda-san." I don't miss the twitch on her eye as I casually say her name without her introducing herself.

"As I should be."

"**Wrong."**

Now, it's my turn to glare at her.

"If anything, I should've been the one having trouble trusting you, not the other way around. I have never initiated an attack upon your forces intentionally. Not. Even. Once." I freely let my anger bleed into my voice, bringing my Prana along with it. Lately, I've begun to accumulate too much Prana for my personal use, so I have a bit of leeway in wasting it. Using it during conversations is a good investment, I've recently found out.

Lubbock nearly pisses himself, and Akame falls into her knees immediately. Their teammates were frightened as well, with various body parts trembling. Tatsumi, being the innocent boy he is, is looking around dumbly. Leone seems unfazed as well.

'_Oh? I need to figure her out later... Maybe I accidentally did something to her?'_

"Every time we have had any sort of conflict with each other, Night Raid has started it. And every time conflict has happened I have always come out on top. What do you think this means?"

I wait.

None of them answer back.

I'm satisfied with their understanding.

Wait... no, Tatsumi doesn't seem like he really understands, but he gets the gist of it and questions nothing.

"I apologize, on behalf of the entire Revolutionary movement." Najenda stands up and bows lightly, shocking her underlings. "As you might know, we're a bit cranky at the moment. This... caution of ours stems from the fact you've discovered one of our operating base in the capital. I'm sure you understand."

I wave her off, "That's fine. I don't demand your apology. Regarding that knowledge, aren't we even now? I've showed you my base, after all." I smile and gesture to our surroundings.

Of course, I'm not going to reveal that I know their base in the mountains, as well. Honestly, they think they can cover up a logistics trail that massive and no one will notice? The Empire's staff must be really fat on corruption money, it seems...

"Hey, Boss, I think everything will be fine for right now." Leone comes to my defense.

"You're way too accepting of people, Leone." Najenda replies. '_Especially him.'_

"But... think about it. Everything Shirou has said is true! He could have at least killed me, if not Akame, during our scuffle and left Mine to die. I don't think he has any ill intentions for us." Leone says, before turning towards me. "Do you?"

Oh, no. Puppy dog eyes from someone her age is unfair...

"Ugh... Can you stop screwing with me for one second, Leone?" I massage the bridge of my nose, covering up my embarrassment. "It's not really productive."

Damn, that's weak. That's _really _weak. Need to find an escape route...

Generously, their leader doesn't press on this new wound. Good marks for her. That girl, Mine, is eyeing me with wicked eyes...

Najenda nods. "OK, then. Kotomine-san, let's put aside our differences for now, for I think it won't do good to achieve both our dreams." She stands up again, this time offering a handshake. "We're allies, until the unforeseen future."

I take her hand, smiling. "Of course."

I snap my fingers, and some of the men in the mansion carry forth Pumpkin in a metal case, handing it back to her. The assassin happily holds her weapon close to her.

"Now, I am going to be upfront with you all. I have made contact with former Prime Minister Chouri and bring him over to my side as an ally. He is currently contemplating my offer."

Bulat is the one that replied, "Yes, we've been aware of the former Prime Minister's situation. He is practically a defector, by this point. That is all good if you can bring him to our side."

'_It's not your side he will be coming to, though.' _

"By the way, have you heard of the big news, Kotomine?" Bulat asks me.

"Which one? 'The Return of the Heroic General'?" I finish with a chuckle.

The rest of the Night Raid seems to find it funny as well, with Bulat's laugh being the loudest. "HAHAHAHA! Y-Yes, that one... Pufu... G-Good shot there..."

Najenda coughs to redirect our attention back to her. "Well, Esdeath's return is certainly grim news for us. However, that's not our priority, right now." She produces a scroll from a compartment inside her metal arm, then tosses it to me.

Unraveling it, what greets my eyes is the normal 'Wanted' poster for Night Raid. Well, she won't consider it important if it's normal in any way, so I start to look for anomalies... Ah, there. Got it.

"You guys will never took out these 3 officials."

Written on the bottom of any posters is usually a list of crimes associated with the criminal. However, the curious thing is that 3 names stand out, all good men. And Night Raid is credited with all these murders.

Najenda nods. "Exactly. A group is killing potential defectors, or those that opposes the Prime Minister. There's a possibility it's connected to Esdeath's return, so we can't leave any stones unturned."

"And our idea on the identity of the next target is the same."

"Yes." She grimly closes her eye. "It's Chouri."

If my expectations are spot on, Chouri and Spear should've departed today, travelling light and incognito. I've directed him to a safe house of mine, so there shouldn't be a problem en route. However, this new group manages to kill 3 officials in quick succession, even though the security increases with every passing victim. They're certainly not normal mercenaries, so my prediction will go out of order.

Maybe I should prepare, just in case.

"I see." I smile at them, indicating my willingness to cooperate. "Well, I think this is quite a productive meeting. I look forward to our partnership in the future." I extend my hand towards the white-haired leader, which she takes eagerly. "Let's reconvene later on. Maybe in your actual base, next time?"

She chuckles. "No way. We need some sort of leeway against you, so no. Perhaps

when our... relationship has progressed a bit more, but not now. You know Lubbock's place and Leone's watering hole, so that's plenty. Contact them if you need anything."

At that sentence, two interesting things happen. First, Lubbock's face is now completely dried of its colour, and his eyes have the look of a corpse. The other one is Leone. I could've sworn I'm seeing her tail wagging excitedly behind her, as her ears perk up and twitch adorably. Her pupils narrow into slits, sparkling in expectation.

I'm not even sure of any feline species that wags its tail. Do they? Either way, she's way too happy in recieving the role of my go-to person. Hmm... again, I need to look into this phenomenon with her at a later time. She's been acting too drastically different from our previous two meetings.

Ahh... well, I think it's tim-

**\- [SAVE US!]**

"Yoru."

"Yes?"

"Please show our guests the way out. Duty calls."

Before any of them can say anything, I disappear in a flash of red.


	8. Chapter 7 (Rewrite)

Chouri lied down facing the ground, his mouth tasting of blood, dirt, and snow. He couldn't breathe properly, probably a few ribs broken. All his guards had joined their ancestors in the afterlife. All in all, he was about to die. And he was ready to.

He wished to be dead. Because his daughter was helpless in front of him.

Spear, being the gallant woman she was, fought back admirably, even given some words of praise by her overwhelming opponent. However, it was in vain. Now, he wanted to scream. He wanted to cradle her daughter, and carry her to the nearest town to heal her bleeding stomach. He wanted to run at the demonic young boy caressing her dear daughter's face with a knife, and body-check him as hard as he could, his own life be damned.

The former Prime Minister cursed. He cursed his powerless self. He cursed his choice of life, dragging all those innocent life with him. He cursed his decisions in life, causing his daughter nothing but pain and humiliation.

The boy... Nyau, was going to skin his daughter's face alive.

'_When you find yourself in a time of need, put your will in that paper. I will come to your aid.' _

The words of Shirou Kotomine rang through his mind, he had no idea why.

Right now, whether those words were true or not, whether he himself believed those very words or not, didn't matter at all.

'_Please... Someone! Anyone! Save us...Save my daughter...! I do not care what happens to me, but please save my daughter!'_

Liver, one of Esdeath's personal warriors and leader of the Three Beats, was the first to notice the strange red glow emanating from Chouri. He was about to execute the former Prime Minister right there, but then his senses screamed at him to jump back.

"Daidara, get back! Nyau, retreat from the girl!" Liver ordered his allies.

Nyau was alarmed at the sudden order, but in his confusion, his body was slow in following his mind. Daidara most likely heard the order, but chose to ignore it, as his pace never broke to grind Chouri's head to paste with the blunt handle of his axe.

A brilliant flash of red appeared before Chouri. Liver's vision was obstructed by his gigantic teammate, but Liver heard Daidara make a gurgling sound. His mountain-like back toppled to the ground, his head hanging onto his shoulders by a thread of meat.

The red light turned into a blur, slamming into Nyau. The young man's face snapped to a dangerous angle, accompanied with a crack from what could possibly be a shattered jaw.

Before the old general could react, the girl was gone from her place.

Standing next to Chouri, a man in red garb was laying down the statesman's daughter gently to the ground. Looking at him, Liver felt a chill down his spine. And not a good chill.

It's the chill he felt when facing his General Esdeath.

Finally, the newcomer spoke.

"I am Shirou Amakusa Tokisada, also known as Shirou Kotomine. I have responded to your summons." Looking up, Shirou continued with a smile, "Rejoice, Chouri! For I have come to make your wish come true!"

Chouri felt like he's hallucinating. Deep down, he believed, no, he _knew_ it was the end of the road for him, and Spear too. He could wrestle with destiny as much as he liked, but there was no changing their fate. That, he fully believed in his heart.

But Shirou Kotomine kept his word. Crazy as it was, he actually did.

The elderly man didn't know how, or why would this priest went to such lengths for him, but he didn't care. His savior could come with a red light, or slamming into the ground from the sky, or shooting upwards from underground, but he didn't care.

Spear, his daughter, was in front of him. In his arms. Breathing.

Safe.

The back, clothed in red, looked so large, so safe.

I thank my Luck parameter. And You, God, of course.

It was a little too close for comfort, but I made it.

"Chouri," I called, the man cradling his daughter lovingly, "who're they?"

Chouri is grasping for breath, indication of possible internal damage. But, admirably, he fights through the pain to answer me. This man is definitely a good ally to make, I decided.

"The elder one... General Liver. His Teigu ca- ugh... control water..." He pauses for a breath. "The young is N-Nyau... his flute plays wi- mmh! the mind. Careful, Kotomine-san!"

I see. Well, no time to waste, then.

"Nyau. We need to retreat. This man is dangerous." Liver said to his fellow Beast.

"I'll be honest with you, I do not think I could take him on right now, even with the two of us."

"But, Liver, besides the General, you're the strongest of us all! There's also Daidara's Teigu, Belvaac. We can't just leave it!" Nyau said, surprise evident in his voice, rubbing his jaw.

Liver was relieved. Although Nyau's face was bleeding from the blow he recieved it was good to note that his jaw luckily didn't break, meaning his Teigu could still be used.

Liver pushed Nyau behind him, "A necessary loss at this point. We need to report this man to Esdeath-sama, immediately." The leader looked towards Nyau. "I have a plan. I'll keep him distracted for a little while, but I need you to play Scream to try and disorient him for as long as you can, if we want to make it out of here. Do you understand? I brought a jug of water with me, so I can use Black Marlin's ability."

Nyau only nodded, acknowledging how grave the current situation truly was.

"Good. On my mark, we try to retreat. Back up as you play, I will try to follow you," Liver grimly stated, as he stared at the white-haired man about 50 meters across from him.

Slowly, Liver brought out the jug he carried on him. Fortunately, with two high-value targets behind his opponent, it's a guarantee the tanned man wouldn't make the first move.

Somehow, three long, thin rapiers appeared between the man's fingers.

Liver spilled the contents of the jug onto the ground around him. The former General gave a nod to his one remaining ally to start playing his Teigu.

It's working, as even with his old eyes Liver could notice the other person's body language noticeably shifted out of it's natural position. Therefore, he's shocked when three streams of pressurized water, able to cut through tempered steel, were easily and casually dodged.

He tried again. And again. And again. Different speeds, strength, size, angles, he tried them all. But his attacks only found air, one under the effects of Scream, even.

Instinctively, Liver lifted his right arm in a high guard.

His mind was momentarily disoriented as his body suddenly flew across the field. He felt Nyau smacking against his back, the two of them sprawling on the snowy ground.

When Esdeath's right-hand man tried to stand up, his right arm was mangled. His brain subconsciously blocked the pain, else he passed out from shock; instead, he felt a pounding numbness from his arm.

'_What... what did he do? I can't see... a punch? Kick? Are his weapons blunt?' _Liver's mind was operating as fast as it could. Finally, it reached a suitable conclusion.

'_We can't win.'_

"Nyau, run. We can't win this fight. Not right now, at least. Your Teigu seems to have stopped working on him."

Nyau was about to reply, but he was interrupted by a blade flying at him. Luckily, it was deflected by Liver's use of his Teigu.

"That's a shame... I was hoping to eliminate that pesky music player. I guess it doesn't matter now, that little trick won't work on me again." The man... '_Shirou Kotomine, was it?'_ claimed confidently.

"I admit, I desire both of your Teigus. But, I can research them after I remove them from your corpses." Shirou stated, as if it was a fact.

Liver did not doubt the man's words for a second. If they did not escape now, they were doomed.

"Nyau! I have one last trick to play. It won't defeat this man, but it will give us the opening we need to escape." Muttering under his breath, he added, "I hope."

They're cornered now. And no opponent is fiercer than a wounded, desperate one.

Since I have to defend both Chouri and Spear, who're incapacitated, I'm sure Liver will favor a wide-area attack, presumably a multi-directional one, to maximize their chances to retreat. Sure enough, the thick streams of water assaulting me retreat, and disperses into small droplets. No, it's not just dispersion. Each droplet is compressed to form its small volume, to create multiple high-calibre bullets.

'_Smart man.'_

Of course, I'm no master swordsman, and I don't want to waste energy and concentration in mimicking what they do the coolest: slicing down every single one of those water bullets. I'm neither Saber nor Lancer, and I'm certainly not Caster.

I'm Ruler.

The bullets shoot out even faster and stronger than normal bullets their size, no doubt powered by Liver's last remaining energy. But none of them even manages to reach 5 meter from me and my wounded allies.

It's a simple Bounded Field, with the effect to infinitely raise the temperature within a set area. Normally, it's used as a supression technique, to dehydrate anyone caught inside the barrier, which is very Prana-intensive and delicate. Its user has to control several parameters, namely, the range of temperature allowed inside and the size of the affected area.

I'm not doing any of those. Instead, I designate an eggshell-thin area about 5 meters from me, and simply raise the temperature inside that thin area indefinitely. An optimum temperature for normal usage is about 50 °C, but I'm guessing my version is a scorching 500 °C. It's crude and savage, such that Semiramis will tear my ears a new one for using it this way, but it suits me much better. Additionally, because I don't have to finely control the Prana input, I can use it with much less Prana needed to activate it.

Sadly, my two opponents have exited my blade range. Liver is a dangerous man, and I'm not surprised he still holds his position as General under Esdeath's command.

Really, do they think they can escape without taking one of my... _gifts_?

Even faster than Liver's screen of bullets, a Gandr embeds itself square into Nyau's back. I can see the blood vomited instantly by the flute-user, and Liver instantly speeds up his retreat, now carrying his teammate in his arms.

Now, to see to my charge... Oh, dear, is he crying?

Chouri's trembling while holding his fainting daughter. From his bowed head, drips of tears fall and splash against Spear's cheek. His hand holds her hand tightly, as if he fears she'll disappear if he lets go.

I pat his shoulders to gain his attention. When he looks up, I lightly push him away. "Can I try something?"

He never answers, but the look of despair in his eyes says a thousand words. Pleading and begging words, that is.

I begin to activate my Left Arm. Contrary to what others believe, it's not an all-powerful healing artifact as the likes of Avalon or Berserker of Black's resurrection ability. As the same with my Right Arm, it's simply a catalyst for me to execute my Magecraft. My Left Arm has a greater compatibility with healing spells and spiritual operations, so I use it more often. My Right Arm, on the other hand, is more suited to combat and high-speed Prana processing.

Spear's side has been gouged open. It's a hideous and deep wound, cutting through important muscles, a few of her ribs, and into her lungs, liver, and spleen. I guess she was hit by that axe Teigu over there, and combined with the big guy's strength, her spear must've smashed under pressure, allowing him to hack her body.

First things first. I stop the bleeding from her organs, clotting any small abrasions, then stitched them shut with a thread of Prana. I activate them by giving a pulse of energy, to check their condition and their connection to other systems in her body. Once her liver and her heart start to circulate blood normally, I heal the inner structure of her lungs, before closing the pleura encasing it.

Her bones and muscles are simple enough, since human body's natural regeneration tends to focus on these area. I Reinforce her entire body's metabolism to help with the healing, before delicately urging her skeletal system to close.

After one short minute, all that remains of her side is a thin line on her soft, white skin.

I do admit. She is a beauty. Not unworldly, but a beauty nonetheless.

Looking up, she seems to regain her consciousness midway through the process. I guess it's a bit awkward, being a maiden, waking up to a young man she's just met (and not get along with) caressing her naked stomach with focused eyes. However, she understands her situation, and doesn't make any unnecessary movements. Well, until our line of sight meet, that is.

Her blush intensifies all the way to her ears and neck. Good, her circulating systems are working well.

Her mouth opens and closes, trying to muster some sort of dignity. Unfortunately, it's not a good time and place to do that.

"W-Wha-What are you doing?!" She half-screams as I slide my hand around her armpit, as if trying to hug her. In fact, I simply heft her onto her feet, then lean her body towards me.

"We need to go," I calmly tell her. "Your father still needs his treatment."

"How is he?" A worried female voice said, for the nth time.

An old voice replies, "Spear, for the last time, please, I'm alright!"

I'm currently checking up on Chouri's condition inside one of the bigger guest rooms in my mansion. Truth be told, his injuries were actually lighter than Spear's, but his old body didn't respond to healing as good as his young daughter, so as precaution, I ordered him to rest since yesterday's action.

"Hmm... everything seems to be fine," I deliver my judgement. "I'll remove the bandages later this afternoon, Chouri-san."

The old man bows. "Thank you very much, Kotomine-san. For... for everything, again."

I wave my arms at the gratitude. This pair has that similarity in a sense of debt against people, both father and daughter, even if their personalities are different. This causes a bit of annoyance for me, as the repetition of 'thank you' they've said starts to become a little grating.

I touch the young lady's shoulder, gesturing her to come with me. "Spear-san, it's time for your own check-up."

Her fair skin is flooded with red, as she stammers a reply.

Naturally, her father notices this, and asks, "Kotomine-san, is there something wrong with my daughter? She seems to do this often, lately."

"Ah, it's not my place to answ-"

"NOTHING'S WRONG!" Spear immediately cuts both of us off. She pushes my back lightly towards the door, while twisting her neck slightly to face her father. "It's just... just a regular thing, Father! C-C-Complications! Sonothingiswrongandbye!"

We end up in the guest room next door in record time.

I chide her sofly, "You shouldn't move so suddenly, Spear-san. Please mind your injury."

"And please mind your promise, Shirou-san!"

Somehow, this girl has started calling me more intimately, like so. Her father teased her about it the first time, in which she responded in her usual excited manner, but I don't really mind. In fact, I'm strangely happy about it...

"Ah, right," I bow my head lightly, "my mouth slipped. Sorry."

Her face turns from nervous to uneasy, then she hugs her body a little tighter. "N-No! Err... I mean, it's... um... I'm just uncomfortable..."

"I understand." I assure her. "Then, shall we start?"

Wordlessly, she nods.

This guest room is obviously designed for a female occupant in mind, with the soft coloring and tasteful choice of furniture. It's one of the reason I gave her the room, and just my luck it's close to her father's room, as well. The windows face east, so at this time, warm morning sunlight streams through the room, part of it bouncing on Spear's brilliant blonde hair, making it glow a sparkling golden.

From the outside, my body assumes its professional stance, calmly walking towards her and having her sit down on the bed.

One of the basic steps in using Magecraft is to be able to hypnotize yourself, to put one's mind and body separate in a trance in order to execute one's craft. It's one of those teachings I'm applying right now, combined with my martial arts training. Being a Magus sure is convenient.

I place two fingers on her forehead and my left hand on her stomach..

A part of my mind starts Structural Analysis and Spiritual Evocation, to evaluate her physical and mental condition. My eyes concentrates on reading her muscular movement, trying to detect any abnormality. I'm moving smoothly, with no hesitation in my steps.

From my examination it seems she'll be fine. I notice that she's blushing again.

I greet her crimson face with a cool smile. "Everything's perfect. You're healing much faster than your father, so that's a relief," I chuckle.

She doesn't respond, merely avoiding my gaze. Ah, of course she'll feel uneasy after that analysis. It was an exploration of the inside of her body in technical terms.

"Then, I'll take my leave. Don't do anything heavy, alright?"

After the time I spent with Spear, I walked towards Chouri's room, and discussed the terms of our future partnership. Mostly, it's the same as the conditions I asked him in his house, but after a life and death battle, Chouri was very cooperative and enthusiastic, allocating most of his resources to me. I declined his offer, as I felt too much centralization of resources around me would only hinder my movements and plans, and the main reason I form an alliance with him was to have another trusted person that could move freely when I couldn't.

It's the same condition I applied to my other contacts as well. Before Night Raid's arrival a few days ago, I'd been spending my time to focus on strengthening and widening my forces, whether it's my own information network or contacting those with power that're sympathetic to my cause. Former generals, officers, nobles, merchants, even artisans and blacksmiths, and so on. Fortunately, so far I hadn't had to... 'persuade' any of them the hard way, and I hoped it'd continue to be so in the future.

The talk with Chouri was finished faster than I expected. Which held no issues for me. Gives me more time to evaluate the Teigu now in my possession.

"Aniki? Is there something wrong?" Yoru asked.

He's following me after I exited Chouri's chamber, documents in his hands. He's maturing every single moment, capable of taking on more and more responsibility with proper management of himself. This boy's my prided little brother.

"Nothing," I stiffly smiled. "Just thinking for a bit."

Soon, we arrived at the main foyer, and I decided to part ways.

"Yoru, I'd like to study the Teigu we acquired. Don't let anyone disturb me." I turned towards him, giving him a smile. "Keep on with your duty and training. I'm thinking of teaching you the next step in the next few days, if you improve enough."

Predictably, his eyes shone with fiery determination.

"Understood!"

Lying in front of me is Belvaac, the axe Teigu wielded by Deidara, who's currently in pieces on the operating table beside me.

First, I examine the connection between the weapon and its user. It's no secret that Teigus are picky about their wielder, and analyzing what each of them prefers and looks for in their masters is a major step inside its partial intelligence. To create weapons equal to them, this is a part inevitable to the creator.

After I observed mulitple Teigus up close, I had a grasp on its power source, or what's required to be it. All Teigus have intelligence, and the source of that is the remains of intelligent beings being used as the main material. For example, Leone's Lionelle is made of the skull plate of a lion-like Danger Beast, only called 'Lady of the Forest', located near its hippocampus. Bulat's Incursio is made from the flesh of Tyrant, a Dragon-type Danger Beast, and others have similar cases.

This world mutates its native animals, by creating extreme environments only the fittest can survive. The more dangerous the environment, the more powerful Danger Beast it will create. 48 of these Danger Beasts were caught, killed, and processed into the Teigus the people know today. However, no one can actually 'kill' them, as their conciousness still remains inside the Teigu, to a varying degree. I heard that Esdeath's Teigu, Demon's Extract, was pretty much the Beast itself, manifested in its blood, before it's consumed by the famed woman.

Similarly, the concept of Mystic Codes and Noble Phantasms from my old world operates around the same principle. The parts of the Danger Beasts exert a 'Concept' to morph and deny the world around them, owing to their incredible life force. I imagine their strongest is around the level of a Monstrous Beast from the Inside World, making them a force of nature in their own right.

I've acquired significant information about Danger Beasts and their habitat, along with those used in the creation of the Shingus. The Shingus contain more artificial components inside them, in an effort to increase production while maintaining quality and efficiency, but clearly the Second Emperor failed in those two latter parts. To create Mystic Codes around the level of a Teigu, I have to collect as much information as possible about this world's workings.

I'm pondering about this in my Workshop, in the basement beneath the shed. It's an ideal location: wide, cool, and sealed tight with concrete, magically-enhanced, of course. I used the upper part as a storage room, restoring the innate function of the shed from storing human corpses, to storing an assortment of quirky materials.

I'm not a traditional Magus, so I lean more towards being a Magic User, however, I'm still confident in my Thaumaturgical ability, especially after the short time I spent with my former Servant. My current problem is not the process, but the materials. Within a different world, the combination of catalysts and main ingredients is like comparing apples and oranges with the ones used back on Gaia. The concepts the world is operating is similar, and all my Magecraft that doesn't require a complex ritual works just fine.

This is part of the reason I'm so desperate for information. Knowing this, Yoru had made a deal with Night Raid regarding the exchange of intellectual property, amazingly enough. Apparently, Najenda appointed Lubbock as the manager of that side of the deal, much to his consternation, I heard.

\- Static.

My Bounded Field has been triggered. I don't set a particularly nasty one on the outside perimeter above the ground, since many people come and go around that area. The lethal ones are right behind and above me, carved on the entrance and the walls of my actual Workshop.

Securing my study, I silently walk upstairs to see my visitor. It's not a presence I've keyed into the Bounded Field, but the Field that detects malicious intent didn't trigger. I have a good idea who it is, but I'm not one for specul- No, I'm right.

Her hair's scent wafts into my nose before my eyes catch Spear's body.

She's cautiously looking around, at times wanting to touch something, then immediately decides against it. Her face is full or curiosity and amazement, making her demeanor admittedly cute.

'_So, she has this childish side, after all.' _A thought passes my mind, '_I know! Let's prank her unlike the mature front I've been showing heeerrrr!'_

Ugh, that inner monologue is disgusting.

It's a storage room stranger than any of those Spear had visited.

One rack contained organic materials, some preserved in jars, some dried, some freshly encased in ice. Other racks contained various metals and stones, while a smaller one beside it had gems inside glass containers. One of the racks even looked like a cooking cabinet, with dozens of powdered material neatly arranged in seasoning jars.

Really, what kind of man required all of this? And who built his study inside a _shed_?

She knew she shouldn't be here. Shirou-san's assistant had issued a 'no-disturb' message around the mansion regarding the man's study. Her actions were the same as trespassing; she wasn't just breaking the house law, she's also betraying her host's trust.

Her heart clenched as she thought of the latter.

She's here... because she's confused. At their first meeting, she had repulsed him, and how on earth her father had trusted him appalled her. Then, he brought her back from the brink of death, protecting her from the maniac that wanted... wanted the _skin of her face_. Her body shivered at that particular memory. He had healed her, and he was incredibly gentle with her. He knew his limits, and respected them like a gentleman.

Currently, she's cutting into that very limit.

Now, every time she saw him, she had only jubilation in her heart. She's scared of this change. She wanted to suspect him. She wanted to be angry with him. She wanted to find excuses, just to return to how their relationship was before. But she couldn't.

She didn't understand anything, at all.

Now, perhaps-

"**Out."**

She almost screamed, but managed to shut her mouth with her hands.

Turning around slowly, like a child caught stealing, Spear directed her eyes towards the ground. Sure enough, in her vision is a familiar set of boots and pants.

His hand... his usually gentle hand, caught the side of her jaw and forced her to face his eyes. In them, she could only see fury. There's anger. Disappointment. _Betrayal_.

Weakly, she nodded, and walked out unsteadily towards the door.

'_I failed him.'_

Maybe I was too harsh? Her face seemed ready to cry then.

No, disregarding my former intentions and her expression, having an untrained person near my Workshop is a fairly serious concern for safety. I grow to care about her over the last few days, as I have with the people under my wing in my mansion and my other allies, so I have no desire for her to suddenly lose a limb or two in a giant explosion. Granted, I've kept all the hazardous materials safely with a complex magic ritual in my Workshop, but one can never be too careful.

I decide to go around the shed once, to make sure she didn't touch anything she wasn't supposed to, before going outside to calm her down.

I ask around. Spear's still inside her room after she left the shed, and I knock lightly on the expensive wooden door. "Spear, it's me. Can I come in?"

Multiple hustling sounds can be heard from inside the room, before her voice, weakly, says, "Come in." I open the door, and her composure seems to be back. Her back is straight, and her gallant aura has returned from the meek performance since this morning.

Her eyes are red and swollen. I'd feel worse about it but it was for her own good after all. No need for her to trigger something potentially lethal.

Just a step in, she suddenly stands up and bows deeply.

"I'm very sorry!" she exclaimed in a loud voice. Standing back upright, she eloquently continues, her voice back to its normal volume, "I had clearly disobeyed Shirou-san, and caused a disturbance for you. I sincerely apologize." She bows one more time.

Her tone is so unnatural to her, it sounds funny, rather than the regality she tried to imitate. Actually, her mannerisms are perfect as a noble lady, as does her speech, but the image gap I usually associated with her is so different that I have to stiffen my facial muscles to avoid laughing. It's her mask in public events, I suppose, and maybe when meeting potential suitors.

I sit down on a chair, and let her do the same on the bed.

I'll start with the serious explanation, then.

"Spear," I calmly say, "your apology is accepted, but do you know the name of the place you entered?"

Still in her public persona, she shakes her head.

I lean back into the chair. "Back in my hometown, it's a custom for fully-fledged adults to build themselves a 'Workshop'." Of course, it's a half-lie, but I'm not ready to tell everyone the truth about me. "It's considered a sign of maturity and skill, and it's very personal. All of us guard our own Workshop like it's a shrine."

Now, her eyes widen, and her body language starts to slip again to her natural personality. It's not an exaggeration to equalize Workshops with shrines, with how zealous we defend ours, really.

"Any uninvited intrusion, even if they're family or lovers, is considered an insult to the greatest order to the owner."

Her eyes widen in understanding.

I stared her in the eyes, and now she averted her pupils away. "However, I am considered an oddity. A minority, really." Her pupils snap back towards mine.

"This... tradition, is mostly kept by the upper class and traditionally old clans. They're the majority, who dictates the rules and a conduct of living. The rules aren't really stringent, contrary to what most people expect, but there're still some that don't upheld them, like me." I smile gently at her. "Mostly for convenience. So, I'm not that angry at you."

"Y-You're not?" Her face contorts to her 'cute' face, now that I've designated it so.

"In our Workshop, we perfect our craft, with the intention to surpass the former generations, and setting a higher benchmark for the next. We test our limits, trying to find our way to go beyond them. Which is why, we constantly live in danger, to us and those we care about." Technically true to a point.

"You and Chouri are now valuable my valuable partners in my quest to bring forth this lands salvation. I can't let anything happen to both of you, especially to something like being horribly incinerated by my Workshop."

I leave the room, confident of my explanation being satisfactory to her. Her voice stops me before I exit, though.

"U-um, Shirou-san! Can I join your training?" Her voice is small, but with a certain new determination in it. Looking back, I see the same drive as Yoru in her eyes. Well, if she's this eager, who am I to stop her?

"Be up at 5."

Her smile was blinding.


	9. Character Stat Update

**A/N: So this is not a chapter update. More of an updated stat sheet for Shirou based off some things that I learned after reading some updates of Fate Apocrypha. I might throw these up every once in awhile so keep that in mind. Also I noticed I have made a decent amount of grammatical and spelling mistakes my last chapter. I apologize for those, I was rushing to get the chapter out because I have not updated in so long, but I also do not want the quality of my work to suffer. Yes, I am still looking for a beta. If anyone is willing send me a PM and we can talk about it. I have no requirements other than the ability to fix grammar and someone I can bounce ideas off of maybe every once in awhile. Thank you. Also it has been shown what his Noble Phantasms do. However it says many miracles in their description so I am keeping what I have planned that they can do and adding their currently released abilities as well. Like I said more may be added later**

**Edit: No longer searching for a beta.**

**XxXxXx**

**Stats:**

True name: Amakusa Shirou Tokisada

Gender: Male

Strength: C+

Endurance: C+

Agility: B+

Mana: A

Luck: B

**Personal Skills: **

Baptism Sacrament - A+: Gives superb strength against spiritual bodies, and shows profound skill in exorcism. Parameters in Strength, Endurance, and Agility increase 1 rank against said spiritual bodies.

Eye of the Mind (True) - B: Capable of calm analysis of battle conditions even when in danger and deduce the appropriate course of action after considering all possibilities to escape from a predicament. So long there is a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.

Saint - B: Indicates being acknowledged as a Saint. Amakusa Shirou Tokisada was recognized as a saint to the people of the Shimabara Rebellion before and after his death. As a Servant the ability of Saint allows the "raising the effectiveness of sacraments", "1 _Rank-up_ to charisma", and "production of holy shrouds and other powerful items become possible". This only comes into effect during certain situations or when the required materials are gathered.

Magecraft - C-A: Capable of using orthodox magecraft. With the ability of Left Hand - Xanadu Matrix: Left Arm - Foundation of Heaven's Blessing his magecraft can surpass his usual boundaries.

Magic Resistance - A: Cancel spells of _A-Rank_ or below.

Charisma - C+: Fitting for one that would lead those into battle or coerce those into joining a cause.

Revelation - A: A personal skill equivalent to "Instinct". Instinct is a sixth sense regarding battles, but "Revelation" accommodates all matters related to the achievement of a goal (for instance, choosing the most suitable path while traveling). Because there is no basis (so he thinks), it cannot be explained well to others.

Baptism Rite- B+: A type of magecraft that changed style into a church form. It is effective on a spiritual body. By linking his two Noble Phantasm, it is even possible to make a Servant go through a sublimation process. His Baptism Rite was extraordinarily powerful that it wasn't possible for a human. Also increases the power of his Black Keys far beyond their normal ability.

**Noble Phantasms:**

**Left Hand - Xanadu Matrix: Left Arm - Foundation of Heaven's Blessing: Type Anti Unit (Self) and Type Anti Unit Rank: C**

Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's left arm that has the ability to reproduce his many miracles. In order to inspire hope to his believers who followed him to the path of hardship, both of his arms are continued miracle that has become a Noble Phantasm. Similar to his right arm, it is a Noble Phantasm used upon himself.

It has the ability to connect to all Thaumaturgy Foundation, it allows him to effectively use any sort of Magecraft with its Almighty Key). At the same time his right arm possesses an effect similar to "Eye of the Mind (True)" skill, while his left arm has the ability similar to the "Eye of the Mind (False)" skill. By combining the two, it strengthens the Baptism well as his prowess in battle.

It allows for reinforcement and strengthening upon his body. It has the effects of "eternal youth", allowing him to withstand over half a century without aging even while incarnated.

It also allows healing of oneself and Shirou's allies. The amount he can heal is based off of his available mana. He can also use it to mesmerize his enemies by showing them what they wish for most or by calming them making them lose the will to fight, only works on those with weak mental strength.

**Right Hand - Evil Eater: Right Arm - Wickedness Predation: Type Anti-Unit (Self) and Type Anti- Army Rank: C-B+**

Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's right arm that has the ability to reproduce his many miracles. In order to inspire hope to his believers who followed him to the path of hardship, both of his arms are continued miracle that has become a Noble Phantasm. Similar to his left arm, it is a Noble Phantasm used upon himself.

It has the ability to connect to all Thaumaturgy Foundation, it allows him to effectively use any sort of Magecraft with its Almighty Key. At the same time his right arm possesses an effect similar to "Eye of the Mind (True)" skill, while his left arm has the ability similar to the "Eye of the Mind (False)" skill. By combining the two, it strengthen the Baptism Rite as well as his own prowess in battle.

It has the special abilities of "Future vision" allowing him to strengthen and support him in combat.

It also has the ability to absorb attacks filled with malice and hateful intent. This ability can fall against a more powerful attack due to the high amount of mana necessary to continuously absorb the attack. The stored energy may be used in certain ways, and can be stored for long periods of time. If Shirou can acquire the knowledge of something that can be considered "evil" he can use that power through his right arm, but it's power may be weaker than the original.

**XxXxXx**

**A/N: Damn that took awhile to research and come up with. There will most likely be future updates to his Noble Phantasm but everything else should be set in stone. Also I may make stat sheets for other characters in Shirou's army like Spear and Yoru once they become stronger. Anyways I will be working on the next chapter, hopefully with less errors. Till next time.**

**A/N: So I haven't said anything in a little bit but I just wanted to thank everyone again for the support that FNR has received. It truly means alot to me. Also I am happy that everyone enjoyed the last chapter so much. I'm also thinking of writing another story just so I don't burn out on this one, but don't worry this will be main story. The other story will just be something for when I feel the need for a break. Also I am hoping the fight turned out alright. I haven't really written a longish fight scene before so here we go xD.**


	10. Chapter 8

**A/N: Finally got myself a beta and let me tell you readers that we have plans for this story. Hopefully it'll turn out as good as we want it to be. Anyways I hope everyone enjoys the newest chapter. reworks of the previous chapters are being done to make everything uniform and in 1st person unless if the pov changes to a different character. Enjoy all you beautiful individuals.**

'_She's handling herself pretty well.'_

I can't help but be impressed by Spear's tenacity. From how heavy she is breathing, the girl is exhausted beyond belief, but she just won't fall over and quit, like most females her age. I find it hard to suppress a light chuckle emerging from my throat as she, yet again, stumbles and falls to the ground. Despite the shaking in her legs, she just picks herself back up and keeps on running.

'_People that keep trudging forward, like her and Yoru, are the ones with real potential and can truly make a difference in the world.' _

I'm making sure my observations aren't too obvious, or she'll be more nervous than she already is. I would've been blind not to notice the girl's... say, 'small' crush on me. I try to act humble at times, but I'm told I'm quite an attractive guy by my old world's standards. Alright, the one girl that said it was my partner and sort of lover, but she had very high standards for anybody, so I'm confident in my judgement. Pair that with my C+ rank Charisma, and sometimes it becomes to easy to woo a lady. However, it makes it difficult to know whose feelings are genuine and whose feelings are just altered due to my skills. I guess it could be considered one of the downsides of being a Servant in a human body.

That's why, it was good to notice that Semiramis' feelings were so... actually, let's not talk about that. No need to be lost in what is now gone.

I am pleased to note that Spear's feelings for me do not seem to impact her attitude towards training. She's been handling this twenty-mile run very well, where most people would have collapsed from exhaustion long before now. Keeping up with Yoru and myself is no small feat, especially for someone who's new to this regime.

Personally, I find this exertion not challenging at all, but, again, comparing myself to a normal human would not be fair in the slightest, and Yoru has been going through even more difficult exercises ever since he asked me to train him. It would also be fair to note that Yoru's own stamina is outrageous, for a human, especially one of his age.

If I remember correctly, there was that one day when he just wouldn't let me end our sparring for the day until he landed a hit on me. No matter how many times fists would smash into his face, chest, stomach, or anywhere else, he just kept on getting back up. My little brother was a bloody mess by the time he finally landed a blow. If I was using Bajiquan, instead of the Snake style I was teaching him, I don't think that spar would have ended until he was fatally injured. The memory brings a smile to my face.

Perseverance is something that I can admire. Although Spear may not have the same incredible endurance Yoru has, her will to improve seems to be just as strong. Using that strength of will to push her to new heights, she can grow to be a force to be reckoned with. I refuse to waste my time with those without the right potential, after all.

After a while, I wave my hand to those behind. "Stop, we are done warming up for now. Grab yourselves something to drink and meet back up in the sparring field in ten minutes. I'm sure you already know this, but take shallow sips or you'll puke." I turn my attention to my newest disciple. "Spear, after you grab some water, can we have a minute to chat?"

Yoru looks a little tired, but he's used to this, so I know he'll be fit enough for later. Spear is jubilant to finish running, but her expression quickly falls when she hears my request. Poor girl probably expects me to ridicule her or something by the panic that is clearly showing. I want to tell her that it isn't anything bad, but it is always good to prepare for the worst, so I'll just wait and she how she collects herself.

While waiting for them to rehydrate themselves, I start to practice some simple Bajiquan forms to loosen up my muscles and body. Yoru has fought my Super Bajiquan before, and although he bitched about the injuries I gave him, I know he likes it better when I do use this style, because it means I am at least fighting slightly more seriously. I'll use it later, mainly just to see how Spear will handle it. She should know she will be horribly outmatched, if the small scuffle we had at Chouri's home was any indication of the gap between our skills, but in a prolonged spar, frustration and other emotions also have more time to surface.

I can hardly wait.

XxXxXx

Spear was questioning what she got herself into... for the eighteenth time that day. Yes, eighteenth time. The girl couldn't help but sigh, even though her lungs were screaming at her. She could also taste iron in her mouth, which wasn't pleasant at all.

Shirou, with his calm and handsome face, was an absolute slave driver when it came to training. Usually, Spear wouldn't come to such a conclusion on the first day. She was well aware that many trainers made the first day especially difficult to weed out those that don't actually have the drive and motivation to go through with the training; it was a common and well known tactic. However, Spear didn't think that Shirou was trying to make her drop out, no. This was just how his training seemed to be: physically brutal that didn't give your body time to rest properly, constantly pushing it over the edge.

In all honesty, it makes Spear wonder how Shirou keeps that slim physique of his and isn't bulging with muscles everywhere. Better yet, how is Yoru handling this training so well?! The teen hasn't even shown signs of fatigue since they started, and they have done a lot! Starting off with a twenty-mile run is already 'a lot', and Shirou said that was just their warm up.

A warm up so warm, in fact, Spear couldn't feel her legs anymore. She honestly thought if she had the energy to poke them, they would just jiggle like jello for a little before giving out; that's how tired she felt. She couldn't help but be upset she's having this much trouble keeping up with a teen boy. If it was just Shirou, she wouldn't feel as bad, but this teenager was handling this like it's no big deal.

That's when a thought occurred to her. '_Are they taking it easy because I'm here?'_

"Stop, we are done warming up for now. Grab yourselves something to drink and meet back up in the sparring field in ten minutes. I'm sure you already know this, but take shallow sips or you'll puke. Spear, after you grab some water, can we have a minute to chat?" Shirou said, opting to stay outside waiting for his students return.

Spear was counting her blessings for the small reprieve, but couldn't help but be worried about what Shirou wanted to talk to her about. She'd always wanted to please others, and the possibility of doing poorly is putting stress on her mind.

Could it be that he noticed that she was slowing them down during the run? Maybe he was having second thoughts about training her? If he was doubting her capabilities, how would she be able to get stronger? Did she smell bad? Spear was positive she showered this morning, but the sweat from the run definitely couldn't help. Maybe he didn't like blondes, that would be terrible!

'_Why am I concerned if Shirou likes blondes or not?' _

Spear stopped her train of thought for a moment, which causes Yoru who was walking behind her to almost bump into her.

"Are you okay?"

Shaking her head, Spear turned to look into brown eyes of the boy. '_Ah,'_ she apologized to Yoru in her mind, '_no need to be so aggravated! He's tired too, well... at least, I need to train to his level...'_

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just nervous about what Shirou-san wants to talk to me about, I guess." Spear replied sheepishly. fiddling with her fingers a little bit.

Yoru only raised an eyebrow at the older girls actions. If only the teen had more interactions with actually sane females, he would've been able to infer the girl's nervous behavior was something more than just how their training's been going, but that sadly wasn't the case. So, the teen replied with what he thought his older brother was going to talk to her about.

"Well, he's probably going to give you a slight rundown on how well you did on the run... and his expectations in the future, if you want my thoughts." Yoru calmly said as the pair started returning to the field after grabbing their respective beverages.

Spear stuttered in her step to the teens words, before turning around and picking him up by the collar of his shirt, shaking him in the process.

"What am I going to do?! He's going to tell me that I am doing a horrible job as a student, and that he doesn't think I am good enough to be trained because I am too weak! Then... he's going to say how he never believed in my abilities because I have blonde hair, and that he doesn't like blondes, and to finish it off let me know I smell bad because I'm all sweaty now!" Spear complained in rapid-fire, while the teen she had lifted off the ground continued to be shaken like some sort of doll, half-way unconscious.

'_She looked so tired earlier too. Where did all of this energy come from?!'_ The teen couldn't help but scream in his head..

"Put me down!" Yoru yelled, shocking Spear out of her rant, dropping him onto the floor.

"Oh, God! Sorry about that!" Spear said, a little pink around her cheeks.

Yoru just brushed himself off. "Not a problem, just please don't do that again. You're awfully strong for a girl! Damn..."

"Haha, thanks… Wait. Are you saying girls aren't strong?!" Spear retorted, shooting a glare at Yoru.

The boy had a sense of foreboding and shook his head, immediately raising his arms up in surrender. "O-Of course not!" Yoru quickly replied, not wanting to be subjected to being shook around again.

Having a quick moment to recover from that experience, Yoru decided to go back to the matter at hand.

"Why are you so worried about talking with Aniki? I'll be honest, I have no idea what half of the things you said were because you were busy shaking me around. What does being a blonde and body odor have to do with your training? Do blonde people not fight as well or something? And, naturally, you'll get sweaty and smell like ass after training hard! It's kind of normal." He took a sip of his cold water as he finished his explanation.

Spear just opened her mouth, but couldn't form any words and decided to just sigh, She'd noticed that he didn't have a sliver of knowledge regarding a woman's heart, which grated on her a little, but at the same time, she couldn't help but think that he's right. She _was_ being ridiculous.

Chouri's daughter was no lovestruck teenage village girl, not that she really enforced such social distinctions. She knew full well of her developing feelings, and also the source of it. She'd witnessed his strength of body and character, in all the occasions when she lacked both. Perhaps, it's exactly the part she found lacking in her previous suitors, and the side of Shirou-san that she found so attractive.

Spear turned around, walking towards the practice field. The blonde threw one hand up as she walked away, "Hmm... Yes, ignore what I just said, but you're right. I shouldn't be worrying! Thank you."

Even with that show bravado, the butterflies in her stomach still refuses to die down. Well, it helped a little to talk to the young teen.

Yoru turned his head away, "Of course I'm right! The only person more righteous than me is Aniki!"

XxXxXx

I finished up my forms whenI saw Spear and Yoru heading towards my location. Usually, if he was on his own, Yoru would have arrived slightly earlier, but I guess having a partner changes things up a little. Spear has been having a tough time, and knowing Yoru, he maybe just spent some time to calm her down before the beatdown starts and he can't speak anymore.

What a good kid.

At the same time, he's keeping a slight distance between them, for reasons I completely understand. For the one standing next to him is categorized as an irrational force of nature: a woman. Even I have difficulties figuring women out sometimes. Most likely, he's had a run in on what disasters an irate girl could bring. Sadly, I can only offer him my sympathy.

Spear separates herself from Yoru as he begins his own practice stretches. He's been improving at an inhuman rate, picking up the Snake style enough for him to use it effectively in actual combat now. His body is suited to it more than I thought, and with a few more years and much hands-on experience, he'll stand level with the masters back in my old world.

Now, back to the main topic. I lead the young blonde away, just enough to put it out of earshot from my adoptive little brother. Again, I can clearly see that she is nervous, probably expecting me to berate her in some way. Well, in some way, yes, I am going to be truthful with her, which undoubtedly will hurt. However, berating her would be counterproductive to her development.

She probably underestimates herself so much on her achievements in the first day of training with Yoru and I. I'm not sure where this lack of confidence stems from, for I always peg her as one of the more aggressive type, and she did quite well against the Three Beasts several days ago. It's a weakness, and one I'm keen to improve on.

I gesture her to sit down on the grass. "So, Spear," Smiling to alleviate the pressure, I continue, "tell me, in your honest opinion, on how well you've done so far."

I notice her avoiding my gaze as she tried to think up her answer.

"Well, I seem to be dead weight."

'_Oh, dear, it's more serious than I thought...'_

Calmly, I replied. "Please, elaborate."

Spear just seemed to grow more uncomfortable, but I need her to get what she thinks of herself out in the open so I can rectify and correct her. Soon after, she cuts loose, to my surprise.

"You just made it look so easy! Yes, it was just running so far, usually that wouldn't be a problem, but we were running for twenty straight miles without a break, which is ridiculous on its own, and that was just the 'warm up', you said! Even Yoru was able to handle it without too much trouble... He said he was still a little tired afterwards, but it didn't really show that much. I want to keep on training to get stronger, but I feel like I am slowing the two of you down, and I don't want to do that! You shouldn't have to stoop down to around my level to train me! I do not want to be a waste of your time!" in one breath, Spear expels all her worries to me. At the end, her eyes water slightly, giving me a slight panic attack.

'_Well, at least she's got strong lungs...'_

Indeed, it's her self confidence. It's not an uncommon thing to feel that way, if she's constantly comparing herself to me. I mean, I'm not even fully human, so there's no way she can train herself to reach my level of physical ability and skill. I have more than one lifetime to hone and perfect my craft, which is much more than anyone could have. Comparing herself to Yoru is more appropriate, but, again, she makes the mistake of comparing the current her to the current Yoru. If she compares herself, a fresh trainee on her first day, to Yoru when he's just started as well, she'll see herself even outclassing him slightly.

That's the point I'm going to emphasize, and make her realize her folly. We can't continue our training without addressing this issue.

I draw closer, and pat her head.

"Wha- Whu- S-Shirou-san?!"

"Stop being too hard on yourself," I smile at her softly. "And that's an order from your instructor, so be obedient."

After I recieve a nod, I explain to her, "If I can be honest, you're an amazing disciple to have for anyone, myself included. I always prefer a student possessing a strong will, and you have plenty. You did an excellent job for your first day, and believe me, it's not flattery."

"Do you know how Yoru was when he's in your shoes?"

She shakes her head, still blushing slightly.

"Don't tell him this," I place a finger on my lips mischievously, "but he's in worse shape than you are now. It's due to circumstances, sure, but there's no denying the fact you should stop belittling yourself. Do you understand?"

Now, she nods, but with a much happier expression.

I continue on, adding some more analysis. "You thought I toned down the training, but I didn't." Without pausing at her surprised face, I march on. "You've just completed a level of training you've never experienced before, even managing to hold your own with the both of us, who've been doing it for much longer."

I offered my hand to her, which she excitedly takes. Looking at her closely, I ask, "Are you ready, now? Both Yoru and I won't hold back for the next part, so I don't want to see anymore of this... moping around, understood?"

Her silky hair flies about, tickling me in the face, as she nods energetically.

Safe to say, a couple hours later, I could clearly see that Spear was wondering what she's gotten into after she saw the brutal beatdown I put on Yoru. He was improving drastically, and it only took him two in a half hours for him to hit me this time while I was using about a third of my strength. A new record.

After I sent Yoru into the mansion to rest his new bruises, it was time for me to give Spear her turn. We bowed to each other before going to opposite sides of the sparring ground, getting in position.

I nodded towards Spear to make sure she was ready, immediately striking as soon as she nodded. The poor girl didn't even know what hit her.

She was standing up straight. her spear in both hands ready to defend against my attack. The next instant, she was on her back by the trees at the edge of the training field, the shock evident in her eyes quickly replaced by a grimace of pain.

Maybe I kicked a little hard?. She did just suffer major injuries a couple days ago... I may have healed them, but some lasting pain and tenderness could still be there. I watched as Spear picked herself back up, readying the weapon that shares her name.

The pain in her eyes was replaced by determination.

'_It would be rude of me to take it too easy on her if she is so determined.' _

I waited to see what she would do. She knew she's far outclassed, so how was she going to try and compensate for that? I've read about the Imperial Fist styles, and the weapons they trained, from the books Lubbock 'lent' me. Their training system closely mirrored the Shaolin Temple from my original world, so their skills were legit. One of their favored weapon was the simple spear, and Spear claimed she'd been trained quite well.

I didn't have to wait for long, as she held onto her weapon with one hand and charged me. Interesting, as spears are usually held with two hands with the blade forward for swifter strikes. The only spearman I knew of that held it in one hand was Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, however, it was a necessity for his dual-spear style, so he's not a good example.

'_Ah, isn't there a spear technique... no, it's more a staff technique, right? Yes, I remember...'_

As she got closer, I received an upward slash instead, delivered from a rotating motion with her entire body. It was unorthodox, but I still avoided it with ease. Using the momentum of her slash, she spun, her launching a stab towards my abdomen. I sidestepped, and retaliated with a quick punch to her side as I moved past her. She moved her spear diagonally downwards, simultaneously parrying my blow and stabbing her weapon at my feet. I took a half-step back, then leant back my upper body to avoid the gouging upwards slash towards my chest.

Without letting up, she followed the slash with a thrust to my head with the butt of her spear. I moved my neck to the side, tilting my head out of the way, before swiping her leg off the ground with a kick. She rolled backwards along with the fall, then sprung upwards, throwing dirt to cover my eyes. Impressive.

It was my mistake to assume her fighting style to be an orthodox one. At her level, she would've developed a style of her own, suiting it with her own body and limits. I also forgot she had more real-world experience in fighting than Yoru, so she'd be accustomed to tricks and pragmatism in a battle. She's good.

Against a normal opponent, even to the level of some of the Night Raid members, such tactics would buy her a scant few tenths of a second to launch an attack or escape, not that it'd be successful against them. However, against a master that didn't require eyesight to detect an opponent, it's mere child's play.

Like me.

I lightly blew the dirt away by a Reinforced breath, then quickly positioned my arms between hers and twisting them, disarming her spear in an instant. Her body also flipped along the motion, dumping her flat on her rear, pointing the sspear end at her neck

"That's enough." I spoke out.

Spear looked at me in confusion, our spar being nowhere near as long as my match with Yoru.

"This was a spar for me to see your skill level, how you fight, and how I can help you improve, not a full training session. I did not need a long prolonged match to see these things, so we did not have one. Do not worry, they will come in the future. From what I saw, your fighting style is unique. You make the spear flow with your slashes as if you're using a halberd and saber, instead of the usual multiple thrusts and sharp strikes that the weapon is designed for. Usually, I wouldn't agree with such a style of combat, but you used the qualities of the spear to good effect, along with making use of its superior reach and thrusting power. It is a combination of techniques mixed into one style that makes it look like a deadly dance." I said in one breath, mimicking her earlier outburst.

It seems I got it spot on.

"Sadly, I can't help you to improve this style."

"Why not?" Spear said, slightly upset at my words. Panic started to show in her eyes.

"Simple. Because it's a custom one, and I am not a proficient spear wielder. I can help you fine tune some aspects, but this is your special way of fighting. However…" I trailed off, looking at her out of the corner of my eye.

Spear just looked at me blankly, curious as to what I was gonna say.

"I think I can come up with a weapon more suited for your style of fighting. It may take awhile, but I think the end result will be worth it. It would tie into my own research as well, so that's a plus." I said, the possibilities still zooming through my mind.

"However, the only one that can improve yourself is you. Don't forget that. I'll be your partner, to figure out and be a guinea pig for any new techniques, but all of it will come down to your own effort." I lifted her off the ground, then patted the small of her back lightly. "So, don't give up on me."

Spear visibly brightened up once more, putting on a beautiful smile as she bowed repeatedly and started saying multiple 'thank you's in rapid succession. It took a little bit for me to get her to calm down. Geez, she can get so enthusiastic at times.

We were interrupted by Chouri's arrival, looking much better than he did the previous day. A nice rest really did the man wonders. He wore a smile on his face as he approached us.

"Shirou, Spear, how are you two doing?"

Like his daughter, he started to address me in a more informal way, although without the reverence Spear spoke to me with. We're equals, after all... politically, at least.

I moved towards the man and shook his hand. "We are doing quite well, Chouri-san. Spear and I just finished training for the day. I must say, your daughter has some potential."

The former Prime Minister smiled at my words. "I'm happy to hear that! She's always been a hard worker, going after the things she really wants, whether it was a sharp object as she grew older or a cute doll when she was younger."

I could visibly see Spear grow bright red from the small exchange.

"Father! W-We agreed there'll be no nostalgic thoughts about when I was young!" She exclaimed with a cute pout. "I'm sure it's no interest for Shirou-san! So don't!"

This talk made me want to tease her more.

"On the contrary," I spoke to Chouri, "please tell me all about it. Especially the embarrassing parts... oh, and do you have pictures?"

"SHIROU-SAN!"

Okay, okay, that's enough. Now, on to business.

"So, Chouri-san, I'm guessing there is another reason for you being here?" I asked politely.

The man in question walked towards me, draping an palm on my shoulder. He turned his neck slightly, before saying, "Dear, can you give us a minute?"

"Y-You're gonna give him the pictures! I can't believe you!" Her neck was bright red. "Father, please...!"

"No, no, no. It's serious matter now, honest. Take a rest inside."

Begrudgingly, she obliged, but not before shooting suspicious glances across her shoulder once in a while. Chouri chuckled at the girl's antics, before his face donned his statesman mask.

"One of my contacts may have found a lead on those Shingu you were looking for.

"Shirou, the Shingu are in a very rugged and dangerous region, if my intel is correct. They're up north in the area known as the Rousei Mountains. Supposedly, they're in a vault built in one of the mountains. I do not know if this information is true, but it comes from a reliable source." Chouri finished.

I nodded in confirmation. "Well, this is the best lead I have on the matter thus far, so I will check it out. It will have to wait, though, since I have a matter to attend to with Night Raid. First I need to let them know you are safe and relay the situations with the Three Beasts to them, in case they do not already know. I was actually about to go visit them now after I finished up here with Spear."

"Well, it's not as if the Shingu are going anywhere..." Chouri said, before heading back towards the mansion. "Now, I'll spend some quality family time, I think. It's been too long."

"Don't let her behead you on the way. She's tough!"

He waved at me with a hearty laugh from a distance.

I closed my eyes, indulging in the small lull of peace and quiet. It'd been hard to find them nowadays, so I had to savor them whenever I could.

My thought's drifted to Liver, the leader of the Three Beasts, or more accurately the now Two Beasts

The reason I only shot a Gandr at Nyau was to manipulate Liver's emotions and decisions, I also didn't have enough time to fire off anything more lethal. The first time I saw him, I already marked him as a fiercely loyal and prideful soldier, close to a fanatic. And I sent him back to his boss with him licking his own injuries.

I knew full well what'd rage on inside of the old general. Shame. Anger. Disappointment. Vengeful. All those emotions would build up, and when they didn't have anywhere to go.

He'd want to redeem himself to Esdeath, and take revenge for Nyau. He'd want to prove his worth after the humiliation done to him.

That makes him all the more dangerous now, which is why I need to talk to Night Raid. Lets just hope they take heed of my warning.


	11. Chapter 9

Arriving at Lubbock's bookstore silently, I knocked on the door. I don't care much for courtesy in front of someone like him, but these mannerisms will go a long way in improving my standing with Night Raid. Too much distrust and paranoia, and before I know it, there'll be a green-haired corpse delivered to Night Raid's doorstep because of his rash actions.

Upon entrance, I notice that Lubbock's eyes instantly snap towards mine, before walking towards me.

"Come on. The Boss said that we're to take you to the back. Just let me put the closed sign up."

I nod and walk over to the counter, waiting for Lubbock to let me through the secret passage behind one of the bookcases, leading down into the underground section of the bookstore. Structural Analysis can be a great thing, at times. For the sake of not looking like I know more than I should, I'll just wait for his allowance of passage.

Lubbock opens the passage, but I can't help myself from making at least one remark.

"Isn't the bookshelf passageway a bit cliche?"

"What?" The assassin confusedly asks me. Is it not a familiar vocabulary in this world? Well, every places has its own cultures, so nevermind.

I throw my arms up in an innocent gesture. "I'm just saying that it's a pretty common stereotype for secret areas. Someone might accidentally open it, you know?"

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm sure it's fine." Lubbock replies coldly.

I can only shrug. My attempt at conversation being shut down. He really doesn't like me, does he? The feeling isn't exactly mutual, either. It's hard to like someone when they're constantly antagonizing you.

As we reach the bottom of the staircase leading to Night Raids underground bunker, I feel another presence closing in rapidly. It's one that was definitely more welcome, but at the same time, still concerning for some reason.

Instinctively, I duck. Trusting my instincts has been one of my key to surviving, which manifested in my Revelation skill. I'm not the winner of the Great Holy Grail War by ignoring them, after all. As if on cue, a familiar buxom blonde flies over my head.

"Hello, Leone." I greet her, pretending she didn't just try to tackle me to the ground.

"About time you decided to come visit your beautiful Onee-sama!" The blonde assassin replies energetically.

Said individual wraps her arms around my right one and leads me to the couch in the hideout with a big grin on her face. The green haired assassin just stands at the bottom of the staircase, gobsmacked of his companion's friendly attitude towards me. It's understandable. I did render her unconscious on our first meeting, and after our second meeting, she suddenly becomes affectionate in the snap of a finger, almost as if we're best friends.

To be honest, I still don't understand the full reason for this change of behavior, so Lubbock is probably even more confused than me. I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, though. If Leone continues to stay this trusting of me, then that will only help me in the future with Night Raid.

"Hey, Shirou, want anything to drink?" She asks me while smiling. Strangely, it's not the playful smile I often associate with her, but a... pretty cute one. "I keep some pretty nice alcohol here."

"I'll be fine. I'm still abstinate in the memory of my dear wallet lining." I reply teasingly, holding my hand up in refusal.

"That's no fun! Just one?" She continued on edging a glass of the liquor closer to me. This time, her expression turns back to her usual predatory kind.

Still, I gesture a refusal. "Like I said, I'll be good this time. Besides, I'm here on business, not pleasure, Leone."

"Oh?" Leone moves in closer to my spot on the couch and wraps herself around my arm while pressing her breasts against it. She looks at me in the eye, a mischievous glint ever so noticeable in them.

"Then maybe this Onee-sama just needs to teach you how to mix business with pleasure then, Shirou..." A sultry tone whispers itself into my ear.

Even after reminding myself I'm a "saint", her tone is very... tempting. However, I'm a man of priorities, and having experience around women around and above her physical beauty really helps. Not taking anything away from her parents, but comparing Leone to the inhuman, ethereal beauty of those like Semiramis and Joan of Arc is just unfair.

With my free hand, I cup her chin, shifting her line of sight towards mine. I feel her body startle slightly, and a blush starts to form on her face. Lately, I've been thinking, is she an all-offense-no-defense type? She's really easy to fluster, these days...

I breath lightly into her ear as I talk, eliciting a shudder along her back. "Perhaps... later, ma'am? After this business is done... you're next on my list..."

Being around Semiramis taught me how to tease and to be fair, my Charisma may have played a slight part in how well that went, but Leone's expression reminded me of a shy, happy kitten being stroked by her master, both satisfied and greedy for more at the same time. Definitely a far cry from her Teigu's image of a fierce lion.

"Hey! Can the two of you stop flirting! Or whispering! Or... whatever! I'm still here, you know!?" Lubbock half-shouts at us. I think he's just a sexually frustrated man, judging from his reactions, but it's a sensitive topic, so I won't pry. He's definitely interested in one of his colleagues, my hunch is telling me.

"I still don't understand how you can be so friendly with this guy, considering what he did to you and some of our comrades. Yeah, we may have started it, but still, you act like you're always in heat around him! It's like he's your best friend when we barely even know him. Show at least some caution, will you?!"

The green haired assassin then points at me.

"And don't get any ideas, you! Leone may like you and think you're alright for whatever damn reason, but until you prove to the rest of Night Raid how trustworthy you are, then we'll be keeping tabs on you."

I nod in response, not wanting to provoke him. His words hold little meaning to me anyways.

"I don't see why I shouldn't be more comfortable around him, Lubbock." Leone replies sternly. "For one, I'm older than you, so don't use that tone on me!" She lunges at him and paw-grabs his head, squeezing it tight despite his protests. "Besides, a man that treats me drinks is a good man!"

Releasing her grip on him, she walks back to her former position, though not as close to me this time. She leans her head towards me and said in a small voice, though purposely loud enough so Lubbock can hear it clearly, "I think he's just backed up, this jerk-off virgin..."

I smile at that piece of information, offhandedly ignoring the boy's blubbering and stuttering denial. "Well, he's still young. Maybe it's his personality?"

Both of us share a laugh. It's a good exercise, and I find I can't quite remember when I last laughed like this. But, this isn't a time for sentimental memories. Now, back to business.

"Regardless of Lubbock," I softly say to Leone, "thank you. For your trust, really. It means a lot."

Her eyes widen, but then she replies with a sweet smile. "Mm. You're welcome."

With a cough, Lubbock takes a seat on the opposite side of me after regaining his composure, and Leone sits back into the couch. Both of them wait patiently for the news I brought with me.

"First off, I would like to say that I was successful in rescuing former Prime Minister Chouri and his daughter Spear. Both of them are also fully committed in opposing the Empire."

Lubbock nods a couple of times. "That's good. Chouri, supposedly, has a way with the common people and was well liked before he was forced to give up his position. Having him and his resources on our side will definitely be helpful for the future success of the Revolutionary Army. Good work." It sounds earnest enough, though the last part is a little forced.

The dumb boy thinks that Chouri is loyal to the Revolutionary Army. How cute. I told Chouri he may help them if he so wishes to do so, but also to prioritize our partnership, which he agreed wholeheartedly. First off, just judging the physical aspect of the equation, he already witnessed my prowess against the Three Beasts. Of course, he's not the kind of man to judge someone from their muscles, but he's the kind that pays his debt in full. Furthermore, even though I despise myself for saying this, her daughter is already in my grasp. He has no actual room to manoeuvre inside our partnership, but it's nice to give him a freedom to choose, even if it's just a gesture. He would never leave his daughter.

"Indeed. They were in a very dire situation when I saved them. Esdeath's special task force, the Three Beasts, was there after all." I said.

"You were able to protect the former Prime Minister and his daughter from the Three Beasts? I must say, that's pretty impressive, Shirou! Even if I'm aware of what you're capable of!" Leone says while rubbing her stomach slightly, in memory of our first encounter.

Lubbock looks more surprised about the fact I handled three of Esdeath's elites.

"So, what happened to the Three Beasts, and where is Chouri right now? I can tell you're alright. There doesn't seem to be a scratch on you, despite your successful rescue mission." The green haired assassin inquires.

A small smile makes its way to my face as the memory of the humilia- no, the humbling I gave to Esdeath's men.

"Not to be pedantic, but I believe a correction is necessary. It's 'Two Beasts' now, not three." I emphasize the words by gesturing quotation marks with my fingers.

A small smirk forms on my face. "Well, it also comes with a nice extra."

Leone figures out what I was insinuating immediately.

"You also retrieved the dead man's Teigu, didn't you?" Leone exclaims gleefully. "That's quite the blow you struck on Esdeath and the Empire. You killed one of her elites, caused the Empire to lose a Teigu, and best of all, hurt Esdeath's pide. Oh, you really know how to mess some shit up, Shirou!"

She looks up at me in a seductive manner.

"I like it when a man knows how to be rough," the buxom assassin says, this time with a certain... thickness to her words. I can't help but feel there have been too many sexual innuendos for what's supposed to be, at least, a semi-serious conversation. May the Lord not find me a sexual deviant.

"Yes, I did indeed mess shit up. However, be cautious of one of Esdeath's men, named Liver. I'm sure you all know him." Both of them nod at my words.

"I'm telling you this, because even with my brief encounter with him, I can tell he is extremely loyal to the Empire's Strongest. Ridiculously so. Whatever Esdeath did to get a man such as him on her side must have been amazing. Even though I may have defeated and humiliated him, he will take that defeat and use it as fuel for the future. I fear he may act and be even more dangerous due to our encounter. He feels cornered by his failure. A man like him does not accept failure and will act more unpredictably in future encounters to prove his worth." I explain.

"So what is it you're suggesting?" Lubbock asked.

I show him an understanding smile, like a teacher happy for his students' questions. "That unpredictability, in itself, is also predictable."

When none of them show a sliver of ideas, I continue. "One of his teammates is dead. Another is heavily injured, and even with the Empire's disposal, I'm sure he's out for at least 5 days. In a sense, since that time is approaching, both of them will make their move soon, within the next couple of days. They'll come fast and hard, eager for redemption with their mistress."

Leone puts her arms behind her head, unconsciously emphasizing her large breasts. "Well, in the end, it seems our plans coincide. Boss wanted us to Eliminate the Three Beasts- sorry, 'Two Beasts', for trying to give Night Raid a bad rep."

"I don't disagree with that idea. Night Raid is a symbol for all of the oppressed, and if rumors keep on going around that Night Raid is supposedly killing those that aren't corrupt, support for the Revolutionary Army will fall." I reply, knowing the reason behind said action, but…

I raise my brow at Lubbock. "How do you plan to go about eliminating the remaining members of the Three Beasts?"

"Well, Boss wanted two different teams to go to two likely targets. Bulat and Tatsumi are heading to a cruise ship. I know Leone is going to be heading out on a recon mission to watch over Esdeath." Lubbock says, clearly unsure if he should have told me so much. Leone, on the other hand, looks ecstatic and proud.

This situation is definitely interesting. I could either try to offer my services to Bulat and Tatsumi to make sure the Three Beasts go down or I can try to get a feel for the Empire's Strongest myself. Both options have their benefits.

"Leone, how are Bulat's and Tatsumi's chances if they do encounter the remaining members of the Three Beasts?" I ask the lioness.

The blonde in question leans back in the couch and put both arms behind her head. It seems like it's a habit of hers. "Well, Tatsumi has definitely gotten stronger, but he doesn't have a Teigu yet, which is a little worrying. I don't know how he would fair against another Teigu user."

I forgot that there's this stereotype that a Teigu user can't lose to someone without a Teigu, which is a completely absurd notion. A Teigu is a tool, no more, but the wieder is what makes the tool so deadly. Just compare that woman... Sheele, was it? Compare her with Akame, and their differences are clear.

"But."

I focus my attention back on Leone.

"Bulat, truthfully, is a monster on his own. He has the title 'Hundred Man Slayer Bulat' for a reason." The blonde finishes with a grin on her face.

I see Lubbock nod slightly in confirmation of what Leone said. I guess that settles it then.

I clap my hands together, gaining the attention of the other two occupants of the room.

"Alright, then, I have a suggestion to make, if you two would hear me out."

Leone urges me to continue.

"I propose that I join Leone in scouting out Esdeath." Leone smiles wide in response, while Lubbock looks more conflicted about it.

"Shirooouuu, are you worried about your beautiful Onee-sama?" Leone asks, purposefully dragging my name out, while giving me a suggestive look.

"Yes."

"Ufufu, wel- W-What?!" The blonde suddenly stumbles on her words. Strange.

I cock my head slightly to the side. "Is it strange? Of course I'm worried about you." I'm not lying, I do count her as a friend of sorts. Not on the same level she likes me, but she can be very useful later.

"A-Ah." Again, her expression changes from her usual carefree one to a meek, adorable kitten. Really, are all women like this? I'm not sure I'm into bipolar girls...

"Mm." I nod in confirmation. Noticing Lubbock's odd look, I turn my gaze to him. "Is there something wrong?"

"I'm not really sure about that plan." Lubbock says.

"Why would that be? Do you not trust me enough to watch Leone's back?" I ask him soft-heartedly. Honestly, I feel slightly offended. My earlier words to her weren't lies; as a precious link to Night Raid, and even more importantly, as a woman, I want her to be safe. I'm not sure when exactly Leone moves from the 'Disposable' box towards the 'Cherished' box, but I intend to keep it that way.

Leone eagerly waits for Lubbock's answer and I sit back, waiting to hear what the green haired assassin will say.

"Fine! Yes, I don't trust you enough to watch over my comrade. There are other minor reasons as well, such as Najenda-san not giving her approval for this. And the more people involved in a stealth mission, the more likely it is to fail. But, most of all, I feel like you are not trustworthy." Lubbock replies in earnest.

I like the honesty, really.

"It's fine if you don't trust me. Actually, it's good for both of us." I can tell I confused him. I mean, who doesn't like being trusted?

"It shows you're a cautious and caring man. I can't fault you for that, especially since I don't know the rest of Night Raid as much as I do Leone, and perhaps Tatsumi. It's a good quality for a comrade to have. You'll lower your value in front of my eyes if you trust me too easily."

It seems he's a little surprised that I agreed with him. He keeps fidgeting here and there, and is giving signs of being unsure what to do or say. Perfect.

"Ehhhhh? So you're saying I'm cheap?!" Leone's face fills my vision, pouting and puffing her cheeks with her hands on her hips. The immature display means she's not serious, but it's fun to play with her once in a while.

I glance at her with a deadpan expression on my face. "You're the farthest thing from cheap. My wallet can attest to that."

Grinning, the older woman turns towards her comrade. "I know what you're saying, Lubbock, but I trust him enough. I'll take responsibility if Boss doesn't approve, alright? I'm sure Shirou won't let anything happen to his beautiful Onee-sama unless if he wants to owe me more drinks!" Leone sends a wink my way. I swear, her liver is probably the strongest I know of. I am curious as to what would happen should Leone find out I'm actually much older than her, if we're being technical.

Lubbock throws his hands up in defeat.

"Fine, fine! However, this is all on you, nee-san. If Boss gets pissed off, I want no part in your inevitable punishment."

"Please, I won't get in _that_ much trouble. I think... he-he." Leone replies awkwardly.

I take this as my opportunity to move along with the conversation and wrap things up.

"Well, now that we have that issue settled... When are we heading out?"

"If we're finished here, then how about now?" Leone says with a smile.

"Huh?"

The next moment, I find myself being pulled by the arm towards the exit of the bookstore. Truthfully, I am disappointed in myself for not expecting this to happen.

XxXxXx

So far, Leone and I have been trailing The Empire's Strongest to see if we can find any sort of information or patterns in her behavior. As of now, it just seems like she on holiday. Some visits to other members of the Empire, and now a visit to a local snack shop, probably for some sort of item or refreshment. I wanted to see if I could see any sort of emotional response due to the loss of one of her Three Beasts and the beating I gave the remaining members. However, she hasn't shown any cracks in her facade yet. Whether that is due to a steely heart or a psychotic mind, I'm not sure.

The great General Esdeath. At first glance, a stunningly beautiful lady that had the benefit to reach her current standing. Flowing blue hair, bombshell figure, and smooth skin. All in all, an elegant beauty, but I know not to judge a book by its cover.

After living for a while, you develop this... sense of people, even if you don't have enhanced perceptions like me and Leone. Esdeath has the sort of strength that's palpable even to bystanders, not to mention us. This far out, I can still visualize the aura of beasts; it's not a single form, but an amalgamation of multiple beings, all of which are monstrously dangerous. I can only imagine the sort of pressure she'll emanates when she's out to kill.

"Those eyes..."

Leone looks at me inquisitively.

"They have seen probably as much death, if not more, than my own."

Leone is shocked at my declaration. She doesn't quite know much about me, but she probably has a gauge of what I have seen and done, based on my abilities. I have orchestrated and executed the deaths of many during my lives, yet this woman... the Empire's Strongest, reeks of blood, a lot more than myself.

Putting the comparison between us as an analogy, my sins will look like a dragon, with blood dripping profusely from the cracks between its teeth and claws. Esdeath's... looks like a maelstrom, a flash flood of blood... Very impressive.

"if she's as dangerous as you're making her out to be, why don't we just take her out now?" Leone asks nervously, already tensing up her muscles to make a move on the general.

I place a hand on her shoulder to stop her from moving.

"Relax." I said

I receive no reaction from the lioness.

"If you don't calm down, you will die." I tell the assassin, squeezing her shoulder gently.

That causes Leone to try and calm herself, before looking at me, obviously wanting an explanation.

"You're blown," I stated matter-of-factly. "If you attack now, she will be ready for you."

Observing her shocked face, I continue calmly, "You've been giving off faint signs of aggression, and that moment where your body tensed is all that was needed for her to know that she was being watched." Giving another glance on the General's sitting place, I say in a low voice, "She hasn't figured out our location, though. If you strike, you will be counterattacked, of which I have no doubt will be fatal. She has probably known she's been watched for a while.

"However," I touch the tip of her lips with my finger, "she only knows that you're here. I haven't given off such subtle clues, so she does not know I am watching her." I explain.

Actually, that statement is a bit of a gamble. I'm confident in my stealth, gained from my experiences and martial ability, but this woman is clearly not your average Jane.

Instantly, an obnoxiously large amount of killing intent focuses itself on my and Leone's position. Most of it is directed at Leone, supporting my previous theory. From my palm, I feel my friend's body trembling and slightly sweating. Slowly, I infuse a small amount of Prana into her, carefully circulating it to soothe her mental state. She inhales a large breath, then nods and smiles at me in gratitude.

"Leone."

Her golden eyes locks into my own steel grey ones.

"Tell me the location of Night Raid's base, I'll meet with you there." I mix some urgency in my tone, in order to gain the truth from her. It's not entirely necessary, as I'm confident I'll be able to protect her even if the three of us come to blows, but the guilt isn't really there. "I'm going to continue this reconnaissance on my own. Retreat, before the poor General can't contain her patience any longer and decides to attack. I'll meet you there after I give her the slip."

She opens her mouth to protest, but my thumb seals her lips before she can make a sound. "Please, just do as I say," I use my 'begging' expression. It's seemingly effective, since her eyes immediately soften.

Leone takes a second to contemplate the idea, before responding, "Fine, but promise me, you won't do anything too stupid. I'll kick your ass if you do! You owe me for this."

"As long as I don't have to pay in alcohol, I'll do my best," I half-joked.

Walking away, she answers my demand without looking back. "The base is ten kilometers from the Capital in the mountains. Lubbock will know when you arrive, so I'll make sure I greet you to avoid attacking you on accident."

She shoots a strange, look at me over her shoulders, before hastily retreating.

I notice the killing intent reducing dramatically to almost nothing with Leone's retreat. Focusing my attention on the goal before me.

"How are we going to do this now?" I ask myself.

XxXxXx

'_It seems that my prey wasn't stupid enough to continue tailing me. Shame, shame, I was getting really bored...' _Esdeath thought as she felt the presence of her stalker got farther and farther away.

"There's nothing to regret, now. Maybe I should play over to the interrogation room? Ah, now I'm wondering how Liver and Nyau are doing on their mission," Esdeath muttered to no one in particular. She stood up, deciding to head back to the Palace.

\- Schluck.

She found herself landing 10 meters into an alley before her consciousness caught up. Instantly, her hand went up to feel her throat.

'_Th-There's no hole...! Illusion?'_ In a rare occasion for her, her mind raced in panic. '_No, it's too real to be that! This feeling... killing intent?!'_

She leapt up onto a nearby roof, eyes scanning the estimated place of the killing intent's source. Most people would be scanning the area like mad, however, an abnormal expression formed on the Ice Queen's face.

A mad grin. This could be _exactly_ what she's waited for, a true challenge! A true test of her abilities. The invasion of the North didn't even arouse this sort of feeling from her, and she would be damned if she let it go!

And who knows, if this mystery person pleases her enough, she might keep whoever it is around as a pet. The thought just makes Esdeath even more excited.

However, the source disappeared as fast as it appeared. '_No matter,'_ she licked her lips, '_I got the general area.'_

In a display of superhuman abilities, her feet lightly hopped across the roofs of the Capital's numerous mansions. It's too loud to describe it as stealthy, but public order was the last thing on her mind right now. As she ran, multiple ice lances formed and shot towards the area she presumed her target was in, faster than her soldiers' bullets.

However, the corner of her eyes caught a silhouette heading towards the woods, already a considerable distance from her expected position. Her grin turned into a frown, disliking the idea of a running coward.

She guessed the perpetrator intended to avoid collateral damage to the people, which meant two things. One, they're not on the Empire's side, since she knew well enough the pigs that ran the Empire and their own underlings wouldn't care shit about that aspect. Two, they're damn confident in their abilities to provoke her in such a small number. She couldn't get a bead on their numbers, but it shouldn't be more than 5.

Despite the potential of it being an easy, boring slaughter, the woman called the Empire's Strongest still gave her all in the chase. Lately, she's backed up, after her cute servants came back licking their injuries moaning. Well, not exactly 'moaning', since she'd behead them faster than they could think, but the thought of losing one of her trusted subordinates and the injuries Liver and Nyau sustained just kept whipping her appetite for blood.

After a couple of minutes of chase, she arrived at a small clearing in the woods. It's not wide enough to have an all-out battle, even if it became strictly melee or a swordfight, so she opted to keep perched above a thick branch while observing her opponent.

To put it simply, he fit the description of Chouri's saviour to a T.

Spiky white hair with tanned skin. Lean, but toned build. Prim black garb with red shroud covering it, with crosses strewn on both its ends.

'_He's strong.'_ To even her own surprise, such thoughts crossed her mind. Definitely, if it's this person... perhaps she could afford to go all-out. She'll see how things progress.

"Such a tenacious woman," the man, no, the late teenager, said. "well, I don't dislike it."

Her grin was gone, replaced by a cool, calculated smile. The General's well-honed instincts told her she couldn't afford to go wild like usual. For the first in a very long time she got serious. She can tell the boy in front of her was calculating for the oncoming clash already.

"Thank you," she curtly replied. "I apologize for sounding like a crazy maniac, but can we get started? I'd like to finish while still feeling vengeful." Her feral grin didn't return, instead, she let all her sealed bloodlust to pour out uncontrolled. Her vision became brighter and wider, her sense of smell and hearing became sharper, her skin turned prickly and sensitive.

'_How long since I last experienced this feeling?'_ She thought to herself in glee. '_How long... how long... how long... ehehe... AHAHAHAHAH!'_

To a bystander, all he or she would see was a monster curling up like a spring, ready to utterly obliterate her prey underneath her feet. They wouldn't be wrong, as an inhuman roar blasted across the forest.

The branch exploded from her lunge.

In front of her was prey. Strong. Alone. Mighty. Vulnerable. Challenging. Delicious. Everything else doesn't matter. Her mind shut off all unnecessary sensory input. All her focus was onto her meal's movement, breathing, openings, defense, offense...

The boy in front of her didn't waver in the slightest, simply smiling like a parent watching his child running into his bosom. Granted, this girl was seriously eyeing to tear his heart of his body sideways, but...

'_She's just a crazy psychopath, after all...' _Shirou thought, slightly disappointed.

Amidst the sounds of destruction, one could still, strangely, hear a clear, calm voice.

"**The starting penalty is five."**


	12. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry it took a while for this chapter. I have just not done a longish fight scene before so I wanted to make sure it was at least alright. I rewrote it a couple times actually. Anyways thank you everyone for your support and my beta for his help. **

**Edit: Also my beta has his own side story to Fate New Rebellion on his profile. It is lightly tied to this story and the events in it do not impact FNR but it is well written so if you want to check it out look for To Rebel Against Fate it's a Tsukihime crossover. That's all, thank you for your time.**

**XxXxXx**

Esdeath charged at me with reckless abandon, a sadistic grin on her face. It's slightly unnerving to see how much she desires conflict, even for me. I have seen plenty of battle hungry individuals, mind you. Achilles, the Rider of Red, was a battle maniac himself, but he certainly isn't as bloodthirsty as this woman. Vlad III, the Lancer of Black, was sadistic in nature, but nowhere near the same level of sadism I can see in the eye's of the Empire's Strongest.

"**The starting penalty is five." **

The words leave my mouth with power coating each syllable. **Right Arm: Wickedness Predation** is already storing prana, shaping it for my attack, but it will take time. So, until then…

I jump backwards, dodging a vicious heel drop that annihilates the thick branch I previously occupied. Landing on the ground below. I decide to take her strength more seriously.

Materializing three Black Keys in my left hand, I deflect the rapier intending to skewer my lungs.

'_She's not only strong, but agile and skilled with her blade as well,' _I thought.

I'm no fool. My skills with the Black Keys are superb, and I was capable of holding off Berserker of Black with them and the katana Caster of Red was able to supply to me, but I am far from a true master. Akame, for instance, is more skilled than me with a blade. My victory over her depended on me being physically superior to her. Esdeath, however, is another case.

I shift my head to the left, narrowly dodging the jab aimed at my face, the whistle of the wind pierced by the rapier rings in my ear. Knowing what is coming next, I bring my Black Keys up, blocking the path of the rapier before Esdeath can bring it down on my neck. My right hand makes a beeline towards her exposed stomach as three more Black Keys emerges from the handles held in my fist.

Esdeath is experienced, and sensing the approaching danger, she creates a blade of ice to parry my strike. before sending a side kick my way in retaliation. I disengage, dodging the kick in the process.

With pride, I can tell that Esdeath now has at least some grudging respect for my abilities. The sadistic gleam is still there, but she is taking things more seriously. It seems the initial brief charge was her way of testing me.

That's fine by me. The longer this drags on, the better it is. More time to prepare my little surprise...

"You've already done better than most of the scum I have fought, by surviving that exchange." Esdeath calls out to me.

"I can say the same to you. At least, you can take more than one blow, unlike your big-bodied subordinate. What was his name? Deidara, was it?" I reply.

Now, it may seem stupid of me to try and rile up the Empire's Strongest, but I'm trying to goad her into an opening. Giving into one's emotions in combat will lead to death.

Unfortunately, Esdeath doesn't bite. A frown marred her face for the briefest of moments, but her sadistic grin quickly replaces it.

"If he died, that just meant he was too weak. You'll find me different, though, and my blade will have your blood! That's the best condolences I can give to him."

Her reasoning is cruel, but isn't wrong in any way.

Enough talk.

I take the initiative this time, sending a volley of Black Keys at Esdeath as I close the distance, new blades already appearing in my hands. A pillar of ice emerges seemingly out of nowhere, blocking all of them.

From my analysis so far, Esdeath doesn't need any ice on her person to use her Teigu's ability. I couldn't know for sure with the ice sword she crafted the first time, because some ice could have been in her hand beforehand. But now I'm quite certain. That fact will make things more annoying.

The pillar of ice begins to disperse, and I jump over its remains, bringing down the Black Keys. I see Esdeath preparing to parry and riposte my attack, but this is exactly what I predict. I will my Black Keys away to disappear, making her overextend her parry from the sudden lack of resistance.

My feet touch the ground, already in position to deliver the most striking power possible. The blade of ice in Esdeath's free hand makes its way towards my left side fast. I Reinforce my left hand, strong enough to block high-powered artillery, and block the weapon with its back.

To my astonishment, the blade still manages to cut the skin shallowly. The Teigu must produce something other than normal ice.

My right hand thrusts forward into her gut through the previous opening. I feel my fist pushing through some solid resistance, but it's too late to ponder any further. My fist twists, delivering more penetrating power through my blow.

Esdeath is sent skidding back from my strike, but the impact doesn't deliver as much effect as I expect. That punch will liquefy her internal organs if received properly, but from the shards of ice falling through from her clothes, I surmise she hastily erected an ice barrier right before she was hit. She repeatedly coughs, one hand on the place she was hit, and from her breathing I can tell at least my strike was debilitating, if not as fatal as I hoped.

An angry glint in her eyes warns me of her worsening temper. She's done playing around now.

The Empire's Strongest lifts her arms, before sending a hail of ice at me from behind her.

I raise my arm and set a Bounded Field in front of me, more or less the same one I used against against Liver.

The ice melts before it could reach due to the super-heated air in front of me. A pulse in my right arm signals me to continue my preparations.

"**Life penalty, body penalty, freedom penalty, fame penalty, fortune penalty. Give the penalty that extends so much punishment, mud, darkness, and malice." **

With my latest words, a slight shift in the air is felt. Almost unnoticeable, I drop my Bounded Field and jump to my left as a spear of ice flew from behind to try and catch me unaware. How crafty of her.

Her ability to create ice isn't limited to her immediate surroundings, it seems. Now, I have to fight even more carefully.

Esdeath is already on the move before I even touch the ground. Shards of ice fly my way, but I deflect them with my Black Keys. However, the blue blur moving towards me is not deterred. She goes in for a swipe at my legs, but it proves to be a feint, as she sends a spinning hook kick at my face.

I lean into her kick, reducing the impact on my neck while simultaneously coiled my arm around her leg, trapping it. I trip her other leg, lifting her into the air, before a front kick sends her flying. Again, I felt some resistance against my leg just now, but I've compensated by kicking a lot harder than before.

Perhaps half-expecting the blow, the general manages to somewhat gracefully correct herself in mid air, using the tree as a springboard to launch herself back at me. Our weapons clash in a deadly dance, wishing fervently to spill the blood of the other.

I Reinforce my body a little bit more, giving me the edge in strength. My blows are now overpowering the general, eliciting a look of surprise in her eyes. The aftershocks from my strikes crack the ground below her, as she strains herself to block and parry them.

I kick out at Esdeath, forcing her to back off so I can dodge the spikes of ice emerging from the ground.

**"Elimination of human rights by castration, exile, execution. Torture and sadism upon the body through digestion. Denial by consensus of the colony that eliminates all honor."**

"**Die."**

As soon as the words leave my mouth, another change happens in the air, stronger than before. Esdeath twitches as she starts to notice my spell.

My blue-haired opponent points her rapier to me. "I don't know what you are hoping to accomplish right now, but your words hold power. No matter how powerful they may be, I will not fall. I hold the title of the Empire's Strongest for a reason."

'_We'll see about that, General. Let's see if the evil in your heart is strong enough to hold back All the World's Evils,'_ I thought.

"Let me ask you something, General. What is your view on society? How should other people live their lives?" I ask my opponent.

"Trying to talk philosophy, now? There is no room for petty talk of such things on the fields of war. My blade can do all the talking for me," Esdeath ruthlessly replies.

A mocking smile works its way to my face. "A typical answer for someone so weak."

The next moment, Esdeath is upon me with a burst of speed, her rapier thrusting and slashing at me in quick succession at a speed putting her previous attacks to shame. This increase in intensity calls for me to concentrate even more, if I don't want to be skewered, though I doubt her rapier can punch through my Reinforcement.

"You have the gall to call me _weak_ in such a tone to my face?! I don't think you recognize who you are fighting at this point! I AM ESDEATH! The strongest person in the Empire, and you think you can call me weak!? In a world where strength rules everything, I am on top! If ill fortune falls on someone, it's because they were not strong enough to defeat their problems. I am far past that point, that is why I shall not fall." Esdeath screams, a snarl on her lips.

Our weapons are in a deadlock. I must admit, it's impressive that she's keeping up with me so well. I am at the limit of my Reinforcement without resorting to my sacraments or Noble Phantasms, but throughout the fight Esdeath seems to get faster and stronger, as ridiculous as it sounds.

Perhaps she hasn't reached her peak? If so, she's a truly frightening enemy. Her anger because of my insult has strengthened her, making this fight even more dangerous. I am right in the end for deciding to assassinate her right now, to avoid further problems.

A blur appears on the bottom edge of my vision.

'_Shit.'_

A dull pain spreads through my stomach as a well-placed side kick worms its way through my guard, sending me flying back a couple yards. I right myself in midair, just in time as a flurry of ice is sent my way. I blocked them with my Black Keys, before flinging the blades at my opponent to give me a little breathing space.

I shift my body into the familiar Bajiquan stance. As a gigantic ice spear launches itself from the ground, I bring my right fist down, shattering the pillar of ice. Sensing Esdeath's approach, I dash through the remaining ice dust. One particular style of Bajiquan emphasizes on sliding motion, allowing the practitioner to cover more distance than possible.

A roundhouse kick is aimed at my face. However, my dash is faster than her movement, allowing me to trap her thigh one more time, while my elbow digs itself deep into her solar plexus. This time, she has no time to put up her ice armor, as globs of blood flies towards my face.

Her ice-blue eyes meet my own dark orbs.

**"Scorn from the judgment and selfishness that takes away men's fortunes. Death penalty penal servitude imprisonment custody fine penalty, crime from a grudge, crime from self-interest, unconscious crime, self-conscious crime, civil war, inducement, false statement, theft, robbery, kidnap, suicide, rape, arson, bombing, violation, negligent homicide, mass violence, death at work, overconfident accident."**

"**Die."**

The great general falters a little as the words left my mouth. I smile slightly, as I can feel my imminent victory. One who has committed great atrocities such as her are more resistant to a curse. Resistant, but definitely not immune.

My left arm wraps around Esdeath's leg tighter, keeping it closer to my body and trapping her in place. I pull my right arm back, then drills forward with my Reinforced strength, intent on destroying her ribcage.

Esdeath recognizes the danger she was in, and covers her chest with thicker ice, unlike last time.

My fist simply shatters through the ice.

Not letting her go this time, my fist repeatedly rains down on her body, leaving behind satisfying cracking sounds everytime it lands. However, her determination makes her to still be able to swing a newly formed ice blade towards me in a counter.

It is weak.

I catch the blade with my bare hand, but my vision turns red momentarily, as Esdeath spits the coagulated blood in her mouth at me. It surprises me, enough for her to send her free leg hard towards my jaw, using my leg lock on her as leverage. Inadvertently, my hold on her leg is released.

Her kick is on point, exactly hitting the nerve in my jaw to momentarily stun me. It is a testament to her abilities that she still have the consciousness to perform such a precise manouvre under extreme pain and injury.

"That felt immensely satisfying." The blue haired general says, after righting herself back up.

Actually, she's bluffing right now, as even a blind man can see her lips trembling to restrain any weaknesses from showing. If she wants to indulge in a bit of conversation, I won't stop her. I've won anyway.

"Well," I reply, "I commend your new armor."

Because her ice armor was pierced like paper against my punch, she did something both utterly stupid and brilliant. It manages to dampen all my punches, even when I went for the kill which each and every one of them.

She used her blood.

Her pale skin is marred with arteries and veins bulging like spiderwebs. It is caused by freezing her blood, all inside her main blood vessels and the capillaries that branches into her muscle tissues and organs. As a result of this momentary freeze, her body became a solid piece of pressurized ice, which my Reinforced punches couldn't break completely.

"Well, I am the strongest for a reason. I am not one to die... No matter who I am facing," Esdeath shoots back.

"Interesting." I smile, "Well, you're not wrong."

As if on cue, her knees buckle under her weight.

She immediately creates two ice pillars to support herself, but the suddenness has caught her out. She tries to exert some energy to her arms, but all she can muster is a row of heavy, wet bloodied coughs. The ground is soon stained red, and as the blood seeps into the grass, I step slowly towards her. That's when I realized something.

My legs are stuck.

I look down.

It is ice.

'Great.' I thought.

Esdeath staggers back up to her feet, pulling her rapier off the ground. She beams at me with a sadistic smile on her face, before lifting a hand to her mouth as a fit of coughing raps through her body again. However, that sadistic grin still never left her face.

A rain of crystal ice pelts me.

Thankfully, due to her injuries, they don't have as much power as before, when they won't be able to seriously injure me anyway. Multitudes of cuts appeared on my skin, causing minor scabs and frosted skin. It hurt but the damage isn't anything serious. The most gratifying damage is to my clothes. It's of expensive material, and it'll be a pain to fix or buy a replacement. The only consolation I have is the fact that my Holy Shroud was strong enough to withstand the barrage unlike the rest of my attire.

Haughtily, she laughed. "Oh, how the mighty has fallen!" Disregarding the hypocritical comment from herself, she continues to gloat. "Where's all of your bravado now, Shirou Kotomine?! Weren't you the one that called me weak? Called my reasons, and resolve, weak? Who's the weak one now?!"

The general stands right before me. The ice has crept its way up to my chest, covering most of my arms. She raises a lone hand to my cheek, caressing it in glee. The look in her eyes promise pain and sufferings she used to dish out towards her preys.

That's too bad. I am not some sort of lowly prey.

"I'll say it now. You are strong, remarkably so. If you weren't such a danger, and if your resolve wasn't so strong, I would probably try and break you. Sweetly... slowly..." She licks her lips seductively, a blush creeping up her face. "...Make you into a toy for my own pleasure and a weapon for the Empire!

"Men like you don't break, though. Meaning, I'm going to have to kill you here. Take pride in knowing that you caused the Empire's Strongest harm. Curse your own weakness for your death!" Esdeath exclaimed in ecstasy. Lifting her rapier, she aims straight at my heart.

"You're the fool."

I revel in the look of utter shock on Esdeath's face as my hands breaks through their frozen prison like they are eggshells, catching her blade between the palms of my hands before it can skewer me. Really, did she really think she had me?

Again, for the umpteenth time, I'm grateful for my knowledge of my previous world. Many people dabbling in the Moonlit World would at least expect a Bajiquan master to be capable as much, and approach close-combat with more care. Kirei, my adoptive younger brother, broke himself free when he was bound into a thick trunk. A normal Executor can do miracles, as long as their joints aren't completely prevented from delivering power. I will admit a normal human with skills in Bajiquan probably wouldn't have been able to break free from that icy prison.

Of course, comparing a normal human to a Servant is just unfair.

I look Esdeath straight to her cold blue eyes, and chant.

"**Misdiagnosis, concealment, violation for benefit, violation for self-protection, violation for love, violation for respect, selfish █████. Stealing fraudulent fraud concealment murder theft crime crime personal grudge attack attack attack attack dirty dirty dirty you are dirty atone atone atone atone every violence every crime every victim atone for everything. This world is ruled by something not human. Know the conscience to reform crimes." **

"**Die. Die. Die."**

A flurry of emotions runs through Esdeath's face for the briefest of moments. Among them, I see confusion, anger, shock, worry, and most enjoyful of all, a bit of fear, before shutting it all under a cold mask. Now, it's my turn to grin in her face.

I want her to remember this grin: a grin of victory.

The curse takes an even stronger hold on the general. Her previous resistance to its effects was admirable, but no sinner has the power nor will to resist it forever, not even her. Even with the weaker version I am trying to invoke, her strength slowly weakens.

Far too easily, my hands clench down upon the steel rapier, and with a quick powerful twist, Esdeath's blade is now in two pieces. I generate strength to all my muscles, shattering the ice prison in its entirety.

I snap my leg up into a vicious front kick, cleanly connecting with Esdeath's jaw, sending her off her feet. To be honest, the move wasn't the mots optimum I could've chosen, but I did it anyway to pay her back for her previous kick. Being forever young does leave you with some rash impulses.

A barrage of Gandr flies at Eseath as I dash closer to her. She retaliates with her own barrage of ice, but it's far weaker than her previous efforts. Seeing this, she hastily erected a thinner wall of ice to block the curses. The Gandr I used are superior in physical force than the Edelfelt family, partly due to my Servant abilities, so the bullets tear through her defensive wall and pulverized her body, albeit also weakened by the impact with the wall.

'_Breathe in. Breath out.'_

My fist buries itself deep inside her abdomen, with such force that her body doesn't even have time to fly backwards before my other hand grabs her throat. Behind her, a part of the forest is decimated by the aftershock of my punch.

Tenderly, I speak close to her ear.

"My right hand is known as the **Evil Eater,** Esdeath. Do you know what it's telling me about you?"

I take pleasure in her desperate attempts to release my grip, but her two ice blades shatter in the moment of impact with my Reinforced skin.

"You are destined to be consumed by my power," I whisper softly in her ear.

I slam her body into the ground, caving it in the process. Her body lay limply inside my palm.

I am a vengeful angel. An arbiter of retribution for all she has wronged. The sinner is below me, broken, but not yet defeated. She still has her will and desire. She needs to break. I retrieve one last Black Key from the tatters of my garb and pin her shadow.

"**Know the penalty to reform crimes. People's kindness is here. There is so much it cannot be noticed. Know the violence to hide crimes. Know the power to hide crimes. People's malignance is here. It is so rare that it is noticed. A hundred kindnesses and one malignance. Malignance shines bright to keep the balance and exists as a great "evil" to compete with the masses of kindness. The starting penalty is five."**

"**Die. Die. Die. Die. Die."**

Instantly, her body convulses heavily with pain. The sudden increase in sensation is caused by the curse finally overcoming her resistance, and now All the World's Evils freely rampages inside her mind and soul. Her mouth stretches wide open, trying to eke out a scream, or any sound to relief the pain, but even her voice box fails to accommodate her wish.

As our eyes meet, mine a source of calmness against her manic fear, I explain what is actually happening in her body now.

Not all of it, of course. I'm not a classic villain in a cheesy heroic movie, after all.

"I see that you're finally starting to truly feel the power of this curse. However it's not the end yet. Let me tell you something quickly. I've heard that against people with even the strongest of resolves. A resolve as unmovable as the strongest steel can't even be immune to this curse. Of course a person like that won't suffer the worst effect the curse can give but nonetheless I heard that at the very least that person's brain would explode. Again, I can't evoke the full power of this curse. I don't think anyone but the true wielder of such an evil power ever can, but I don't think your resolve is as strong as the strongest steel. Let's see if we can have your brain explode or maybe something worse." I finish a manic smile on my face. Reveling in the now visible panic in Esdeath's eyes.

I lean closer to her face. Her facial muscles are rigid due to over-clenching them to ease the pain, so I calmly smile and whisper closer to her ears.

"Can your will rival that of the strongest steel?"

I take a deep breath.

I spread my arms out before me, as if finishing a long prayer.

"█ █ **for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self inducement, false statement, theft, robbery, kidnap, suicide, rape, arson, infringement, dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty you are dirty atone atone atone atone atone atone every violence every crime every victim atone atone atone with death!" **

A shrill scream rips through the sky. Esdeath, the great and powerful general, is screaming her throat dry. Her body starts to creak, as her convulsions fight against the restraining power of the Black Key.

I want to watch her in pain even more, so I remove it.

The instant the Black Key dematerializes, Esdeath's body uncontrollably throws itself around, her muscles and bones twisting and turning to different directions due to her nerve endings being fried. Her hands reach for her throat, aiming to scratch it, but it ends up in a broken dance, like a puppet being thrown around with only one end of its strings.

She screams. She screams, and screams even more, blood spewing out from her strained throat.

I am not one of torture, but I enjoy her suffering.

So much that I almost died, if my Revelation skill didn't kick in.

"**ADRAMELECH!" **

'_Aw, fuck!'_

It seems I've been cursing too much lately, for a man of the cloth.

A gigantic pillar of lightning pierces the ground where I just was a split second ago. It's a powerful strike, comparable to an A-rank spell or Mystic Code, and I judge it would've caused horrific injuries to me in my off-guard state just now. It wasn't enough to kill a Servant, but with my Prana running thin after the fight with Esdeath, my Reinforcement was slipping.

In hindsight, charging here for a fight without my full equipment was probably a mistake.

The intensity of the lightning blast still singes parts of my clothes and left minor burns on my right side. Nothing that I can't heal later, but now I'm at a disadvantage.

From the information I gathered, the user of the Teigu 'Adramelech', General Budo, is every bit Esdeath's equal in strength, if not fighting prowess due to his relative inexperience in the battlefield. He probably came over here due to beng able to sense my battle with Esdeath. Any other day I could fight him just like I did Esdeath, but fighting him after I already exhausted myself fighting the Empre's strongest wouldn't be good. Also invoking that curse upon took a lot of my mana. Besides, Esdeath is crippled for the meantime. I wished to ensure a kill but this will have to do.

She took considerable damage, perhaps leading to complications that would be fatal. I hit her cleanly numerous times, and the damage to her mind and soul was also severe, if not as maximized as it could be. If I had a bit more time, the accumulated curse would've finished her off, but it required a steady feed of Prana, one which was destroyed by Budo's assault. She is powerful though. If anyone in this world could recover from that curse it's her. But it will take time. Time that I can use.

Well, the most optimum thing to do is retreat right now.

Using the dust kicked up by the lightning strike, I swiftly flee.

"Can this get any worse?" I softly say, berating myself, as I make my way back to the mansion. I can inform Night Raid of what happened later, if need be.

XxXxXx

Upon my return, my mansion turned into a riot.

My subordinates swarmed me, asking where it hurts or whether I'd like a hand, and so on. Now, I'm not as prideful as many Heroic Spirits to reject help, but for just what amounted to minor wounds, this commotion was very annoying.

I couldn't really blame them, though. They knew me as an invincible leader, the hero that would transform the Empire back into its peaceful glory. Therefore, having your idol return from a battle in rags was admittedly quite worrying.

Ignoring the protests, I made straight towards the dining hall, intend to just tell my story once to all these people than repeating it multiple times. I was unashamedly tired and hungry, so I hurried my pace.

"Shirou!"

I turned my head, and saw Spear vaulted down the stars, from the second floor, and quickly rushed to my side. From the signs of exertion, she must have instantly rushed over once she heard I returned injured. What a good girl.

"How did this happen? Are you going to be okay? Who could have possibly done this to you?"

Spear shot off a barrage of non-stop questions, which became unending, but I stood with my previous decision to only recount the events once.

Soon, we arrived at the main corridor. It was longer than I remembered, but perhaps my fatigue was playing with my perception.

'_Hmmm... some hot soup would be nice,'_ I thought.

Behind me, Spear's voice still ranted on and on, only stopping when Chouri stepped in and dragged her off. I gave him a grateful nod, and shot Spear a pleading smile to quiet her down. It worked, at least momentarily, as both of them walked ahead of me to join the others at the hall.

'_Now, is there something missing? I feel like...'_

"ANIKIIIIII!"

'_Ah, yes. There it is.'_

I saw Yoru run towards me but something seemed off… different.

The boy skidded to a stop, in a manner not too dissimilar to those of figure skaters, except he's on proper shoes. The floor and carpeting were scratched badly, but I wasn't paying attention to those. His face was a mix of worry and confusion, a far cry from my piercing glare.

'_Oh, dear God. I don't feel like playing this right now...'_

My hand shot up, grabbing 'Yoru' by the neck like a steel clamp. 'His' eyes widened, as an added sensation of sharp steel poked into 'his' stomach, courtesy of my Black Keys. Both of 'his' hands lashed out in a counter, but I simply squeezed harder.

A puff of smoke enveloped 'him', and the body in my grip was no longer that of a teen boy

It's a young girl.

Her figure was slim, befitting her age, which seems in her late teens.. If I wasn't distracted by the fact that I was contemplating whether or not to kill her I would have admitted that she was very attractive. The girl had pale skin, auburn hair, and light red eyes. Her body was slim, but still fit, more so than Mine but less than Leone's She was wearing a butterfly headphone accessory on her head. Her attire consisted of vocalist-like clothing. A white long sleeve shirt with the collar tied and a red ribbon under a black vest, a red checkered mini skirt, and black leather below-the-knee boots. She was also holding what seemed to be a makeup kit in her right hand. She used to have a lollipop in her hand but that has now fallen onto the floor.

Looking at the makeup kit it didn't seem like anything special, but I felt a power from them. Definitely a Teigu. Perhaps that's how she shapeshift?

She's a very skilled mimic, and any other person would;ve been fooled, even if they're close acquaintance with the identity she's masquerading as. It's just her bad luck that my Noble Phantasms granted me with enhanced perception, which, combined with my Revelation skill, made it virtually impossible for anyone to fool me in such a manner.

Looking into her eye's I could see she was trying to think of a way to escape the situation she found herself in.

"Your disguise would have been flawless to anyone else besides me, I would be impressed if it wasn't for the fact that the person you were impersonating was someone close to me and I don't know what you did with them. So tell me." I press the black key more firmly into her stomach

"Where is Yoru?"


	13. Chapter 11

"My apologies for rushing you, but I don't feel very patient now. So, please don't waste my time in resisting or lying," I told the girl calmly, even if a growl leaked into my voice. However, only a gurgling sound replied, which warned me to my blunder. How could she answer my question if I was choking her to death? Dear me, I must've been very distraught today. I released the iron grip I had on the imposer's throat, dropping her onto the floor.

As the girl writhed about on the floor, I picked up her make-up kit, perhaps her Teigu, placing it into my robe for safekeeping. Can't have her shapeshift again, now.

I materialized a Black Key, throwing it into her shadow to pin her in place. I began a bodysearch on her, my hands moving in a deliberately rough manner to intimidate her. I didn't think it was very effective, but I wasn't in the mood for subtlety right now. A few steel needles and small knives made themselves known into my hands, and I deposited them inside a nearby vase. I drew a small rune on it, to prevent her taking them back. I did so with my back turned towards her, to hide the runes, but also to avoid punching her in the face as she shot off a killing intent towards me.

I kneeled placing my face level with hers. Strangely, she didn't panic at her sudden immobility, though I was sure an assassin like her had plenty of experience in this state. Bruises in the shape of fingers had already started to form on her slim neck, the purple marks evident in contrast to her fair skin.

Cutting to the chase, I asked her again.

"Where is Yoru?" This time, my voice was as calm as possible, so as not reveal any more psychological openings she could exploit.

She understood the position she's in instantly. Smart girl.

"He's safe. Maybe very pissed off, but perfectly safe." She then smiled at me, her lips curling like a cat's. "I'll show where he is, if you want."

Of course, no sane man would take her testimony at face value.

I put my index and middle finger together, then pressed them on her forehead, muttering, "**Tromluí."**

I felt her body shudder heavily at the surge of Prana entering her, signalling the spell's success. The fear in her eyes told me everything I wanted to know.

"W-What did you do to me?!" The girl asked, horror evident in her voice.

"Do you really want to know?" I whimsically replied.

She gulped, swallowing back further questions.

"Then, let's test it out, okay? It's just some lie-detector, so don't worry too much," I said, patting her shoulder. I took a more comfortable sitting position on the floor, with her still pinned by her shadow. My mind already foresaw ahead, picturing her face uncontrollably writhing in agony as her worst nightmares assaulted her as soon as a lie comes out from her mouth. Surely, her mind would be more robust than Akame? She's the one who had the balls to come here, after all.

"Now, let's start with something easy. What's your name?"

"Chelsea."

No reaction. It's the truth.

"Such a pretty name, for a pretty lady. Too bad it came down to this. I would have preferred it if we could have met over tea instead." I told Chelsea.

"That's so lame, playboy," she replied, chuckling. "You know you're supposed to say that before you tried to kill me?"

"Who's fault is that?" I calmly shot back.

Knowing I was right, Chelsea shut her mouth.

"Well, back to the issue at hand. Where is he?" I asked, my cheerful demeanor disappearing like smoke.

She made a disturbed expression at the speed my emotions switched. Nervously, she replied, "The boy is locked in the cellar. I tricked him in there and made sure he would stay there until I left."

Now, that... actually surprised me a little. That's all?

My surprise led me to ask her, "Did you harm him?"

"That would have been counterproductive, for me and my employer." Chelsea replied, now with a more jovial tone.

Well, well... that answer narrowed down my guess of her employer quite a bit...

Dissipating the Black Key pinning her down, I lifted her up easily and forced her to walk in front of me, one hand on hers to make sure she didn't do anything. Numerous Black Keys were ready to be launched, in case she did something truly stupid.

Chelsea looked over her shoulder, an amused look on her face. Perhaps she took my impatience as a sign of weakness? Sadly, she wouldn't be shown any true openings.

"What are you doing? Done with the questions? A girl doesn't like it when a guy is indecisive, you know..." her voice trailed off, a mocking tone clear despite her calm mannerisms.

'_You won't be so happy in a moment, love.'_

"Let's just go to where he is."

I deliberately pushed her along roughly, as if urging her along due to anger and impatience. An assassin like her was trained to take advantage of any situation, and in this occasion, where she had no physical advantage, she would try to get hold of a psychological one. Revealing my emotions here in the open would lure her, tempting her to pounce on the mistake.

What makes a good gambler? Was it his ability to cheat to gain an advantage, or was it his poker face? No, it was neither of these two things.

It's the capability to control one's opponent's mind that makes a true champion.

Chelsea led me to the wine cellar located on the top floor of the manor. Indeed, it's one of the few ideal places to hide someone inside this building. I should remind myself to put detection wards to cover all the rooms, not just the building perimeter. It seemed these days a fence wasn't enough... you'd need a CCTV system.

As we got closer, I immediately sensed Yoru's... far too weak presence.

'_Ah... I see. Good boy.'_

I pointed at the door. "**Oscailte."**

Naturally, with Chelsea walking in front of me, she would be entering the room first. The door swung open by my spell, revealing... an empty room.

Through her arm, I could sense her panic.

"Err... I swear-"

A boot smashed straight into her face before she could complete the sentence, sending her sprawling back. By the slight crunching sound, I assumed her nose and cheekbones could be broken by the kick. The injuries were quite light, especially for it being one of the kicking techniques I taught Yoru from the Snake style, but her instincts made her to relax her neck muscles to absorb the impact better. Smart.

Still, she wouldn't be moving for a while.

I grabbed Yoru's shoulder as he moved in for the kill.

"Good job."

He smiled stiffly, his eyes still focused on his target. A good habit.

"Thanks, aniki."

I patted his shoulder. "Well, judging from the fact you needed to hang on the door rims, this much power has already surpassed my expectations. Your training is bearing fruit, otouto-kun."

I put a hand on Yoru's shoulder to let him know that he's done enough. "Impressive blow. It was swift and held the necessary power. You're picking up the Snake style quite well," I praised him.

"I just want to have another go at her. Can I?" Radiating the bloodlust he previously concealed, he stalked towards her. However, before I could stop him, he halted his tracks himself.

Kneeling down to look at Chelsea's messed up face, he said, "Lucky you. When aniki has wrung you dry of info, I'll tear you apart, bitch."

He stood, then stomped away towards the main hall. I silently approved of his new self-control, despite his temper. It's as if he matured a little in a single night... a comforting thought.

A muffled noise brought me back from my musing.

I hovered my palm over her face, mending her broken bones with healing magecraft. However, I stopped before completing the full treatment, merely reconnecting the pieces without blocking out the pain. It's a petty attitude, but necessary.

"Urgh..." the redhead assassin groaned loudly from the dull ache of her entire face. "Alright, alright... I may have deserved that blow..."

"Like he said, you're lucky," I interjected, "that kick was supposed to be lethal."

She grunted, lifting her upper body from the floor. "You've taught him well. I'm surprised I didn't sense anything before hand"

'_You don't know the half of it.'_

Again, I raised her back on her feet, this time leading her to the main hall. While musing on the soon-to-be public interrogation, I also calculated Yoru and Chelsea's battle strength. Yoru definitely held an advantage in strength and speed, but his awareness to surprise attacks was still lacking, allowing Chelsea to subdue him without too much of a fight due to her experience and skill. To be fair, this sixth sense was impossible to train quickly, but I planned to beat it into him soon. Couldn't have myself lose face everytime someone came knocking, after all.

"Geez, do all the men here have no idea how to treat a lady nicely? It's fine for a masochist, but I'm not really one, you know?" She shot me a teasing grin, "Although... if it's what you desire, I can accommodate."

"You're wrong on two accounts."

Noticing her confusion, I explained, "First, I don't give any mercy to anyone that gets in my way, male or female. Just the act of trespassing would've granted you severe injury in this house."

I leaned closer to her ear, just on the verge of whispering range. "And the second... how'd you know you're not a masochist?"

I let loose a small stream of prana, activating the earlier curse I put on her.

Her body jolted, then her expression turned back from amusement to horror.

"This is... mind manipulation!"

After a couple seconds I cut off the stream of prana. Of course, I wasn't going to explain anything to her. Sometimes, an assumption was a far more effective intimidation tool than a detailed explanation.

Silently, we approached the main hall.

Upon entering it, my skin was set ablaze by the killing intent.

Personally, I didn't even expect I was leading this many people. I met with all of them, conversed with them, and generally get along with all of them, but when they all gathered together like this, it was a really good spectacle of the forces in my command.

The men and women out on information gathering were also here, along with several new faces who recently joined to support my vision of changing the Empire. Of course, Yoru, Spear, and Chouri were standing there as well, on the perimeter. Surprisingly, even the former Minister was also displaying hostility towards the girl beside me, but in a much more controlled and calm manner.

I could feel their eyes piercing Chelsea's body, analyzing every move she made. If one of them suddenly felt she was a danger, there was no doubt of an attack from them. Spear was even thumbing her own weapon, held behind her back to avoid obstructing her view.

A few of the maids stepped forward.

"Master, please allow us to tend to your wounds."

Smiling at their suggestion, I rebuked them softly. "There is no need, I have finished healed them myself. A change of garments will do nicely, though."

As if expecting my request, one of them handed out a full set of shirt and trousers, while the rest hovered around me, their hands shot out with practiced ease and relieved me of my outer coat and shirt.

"While I'm changing, please keep watch over her."

Without looking back, I head towards one of the empty rooms to change.

By the time I got back, Chelsea was sprawled on the floor, a red bruise lining her cheek. Spear was standing over her, pointing the butt of her spear to the assassin's face, her own twisted in rage and hatred. Chelsea, on the other hand, while holding a hand over the bruise, was chuckling, and saying something to Spear which riled her up massively. Chouri was even unable to contain his daughter.

What do you do if you're compromised with no way out of your situation? You try to die before revealing too much. That seemed to be exactly what Chelsea was going for.

Gently, I caught Spear's hand as it swung down one more time, no doubt smelling blood.

"Spear," I softly whispered, "please, return. She's playing you, and you know it."

She bit her lip in resentment, before obediently following my decision after shooting a dark glare towards the redhead.

To be honest, I was half-expecting this scene when I decided to leave her alone. Chelsea was a skilled operator, which would mean an easy provocation of the honest and gullible Spear. I had no idea what she said which upset my student so much, and I didn't really want to know, but it's a good test to see my underlings' feelings for me.

As it was, I was very satisfied with their reaction. No one bothered to stop Spear or converse with her, and a few seemed eager to continue after Spear's blow themselves. It's not a definite measure for sure, but it's a start.

Coughing once, I began my explanation.

"I want to thank all of you for gathering on such short notice. I know that you all have questions that want to be answered," I said in a loud voice, "I will try my best to answer all those questions, but first, please hear me out."

Quiet nods resounded across the hall, allowing me to continue uninterrupted.

"I received my injuries while I was fighting my most challenging opponent yet: the great General Esdeath," I told the crowd with perhaps a bit too much flourish. Giving my opponents some credit will elevate my achievements even more, and though I didn't need to do so with my own people, I did it as a warning to Chelsea. I had no doubts that she had her own information regarding Esdeath and her strength.

Many half-opened their mouths, but at the last moment, shut them back.

As planned, Chelsea looked up at me in surprise. The more her image of me rose, the less likely it was for her to go against me.

"She's definitely deserving her title of 'Empire's Strongest', worthy of a glimpse of my full strength. Do not take that sentence at face value, as it was a costly win," I explained, slightly exaggerating the events. "I was about to land the finishing blow, but General Budo managed to catch wind of our bout and interrupted, saving his colleague. I judged it to be dangerous to take him on while in a drained state, which was why I returned as swiftly as possible."

Once again, my men and women had their mouths agape, but now due to surprise, not curiosity. Even Chelsea was near-catatonic because of the shock, almost shivering in place. It's not everyday when someone claimed they faced two of the Empire's best soldiers and lived on to tell stories about it, much less actually critically injuring one.

"From her injuries, Esdeath would be out of the commission for a while, giving us valuable space and time for our next move," I elaborated, without letting out sensitive pieces of information to the assassin next to me. Dangling half-truths and mixing it with lies were very effective to rat out people like her who worked in the shadows.

I continued with a loud voice, lightly making everyone jump. "However! Once this opening is closed, that woman will come back even stronger, with all the drive and killing intent she could muster raining down upon us."

I walked around, closely staring at their eyes.

"With that kind of danger looming over all of your heads... do you still want to be by my side?"

For a while, no reply came to my question.

"I can't hear you." I said, cocking my head to the side.

"SIR! YES, SIR!"

I chuckled at their response.

"Incredible! Truly incredible!" I exclaimed proudly. "However, I still sense a trace of fear inside all of you."

At my verbal jab, the rowdy crowd fell silent.

"Why are you quiet? Is fear a bad thing?" I asked, which no one replied.

"The one claiming such is a fool! Fear grants you survival instincts and caution, and if harnessed properly, will enhance your capabilities. The only thing that matters is to not succumb to it!" I began to shout to rouse their spirit, "Did I fear Esdeath? Yes! I feared if she defeated me, she will come to you and harm all of you. Backed by that fear, I triumphed! I defeated her, made her the one running away with her tail between her legs!"

I spread my arms wide, challenging them, "So, tell me honestly, with me here, what do you have to fear?"

"NOTHING!" The crowd roared.

"We will use this time to increase our forces, for all of us to become stronger. If Esdeath and the Empire expects us to sit here and not improve, then let's prove them wrong! You all have chosen to stand by my side when I gave you all the option to walk away. With that decision in mind, I ask of you... All of you!" I brought my hand to my chest.

"Put your trust in me! I promise you the change you dream of will come, and we all will make it through this together!" I finished with a flourish.

A roar of approval raged throughout the room. Spear was clapping hysterically at my words in excitement, while Chouri looked at me with a firm smile on his face. To my side, Yoru tried hard to stay composed, but a beaming smile had already spread across his face. The last person of interest, Chelsea, seemed to be gauging the crowd's enthusiasm, impressed with how successful I was in motivating them.

After the rancor had died down, I gestured towards the girl beside me. "Then, I'll continue with some introductions. This 'honored guest'," I waved my hand over Chelsea's head, "is named Chelsea. I hope you will treat her well, in accordance with the rules of this house." I deliberately omitted the fact that one of the 'rules' was 'death upon those who are deemed hostile', but that's her problem to deal with.

"Chelsea here is a master spy, as well as an assassin. She is here with us today because someone found it necessary to try and plant a spy in our midst, for reasons unknown." I looked at the auburn haired girl, making sure she could feel my gaze on her. "I have some pretty good guesses regarding those reasons, but it's not my place to say them."

Once more, their earlier hostility was revived, but much more subtly. To an assassin of her caliber, I was sure she knew which one was more dangerous. Small beads of sweat formed on her forehead at my declaration.

"Many of you wondered why haven't I executed her yet as soon as I blew her cover," I continued, unabated by the killing intent swirling around the room. "One of the reasons was my belief of the identity of her employer, which is the Revolutionary Army."

I stared at her, asking, "Am I right?"

After a few tense seconds, with a sigh, she nodded.

It's a simple educated guess, really. The Empire would've sent a subjugation army, not a single spy. Her non-lethal actions against Yoru suggested a strict no-kill rule, one which could only be issued by a faction whose goals aligned with mine.

Despite the cold sweat, I commended her calm professionalism in showing a calm facade.

A maid pulled a chair over, and one of the guards roughly shoved her onto it.

"So, the question now is..." I pondered aloud, "why would my supposed _ally_ plant you here?"

Her eyes narrowed in irritation. "Why are you asking me all these obvious, stupid questions? A test? A trick? You've already figured everything out, haven't you?" She leaned over from her seat, growling, "So why are you still keeping me here?!"

"A confession is always better than a false oration. In any case, you are in no position to refuse my requests."

"Tch, fine!" She clicked her tongue, before saying, "The top brass wanted an eye on the unknown player in the field now, which means you." She leaned back in the chair, glaring at me. "If you're deemed to be... harmful, then I am to eliminate you as soon as I am able."

"Good, good," I clapped my hands, pleased she was still smart enough not to lie. Thankfully, no movements came from my people after her confession, warming my heart with their confidence in myself. In fact, some of them started to chuckle and sneer at the defeated assassin, complete with mocking glares, which Chelsea returned angrily.

"Just for curiosity's sake," I stepped closer to her until we're only a few inches apart, saying, "How do you actually plan to assassinate me, a person who bested Esdeath in combat? Can you do the same to her? Hm?"

\- Creak...

'_Oh...! Impressive!'_

As soon as I stepped into her range, she tilted the chair backwards, letting her legs move closer to my upper body. Then, like twin pythons, her thighs circled my face and neck. Momentarily, as my face was buried in her crotch, in a different scenario this would have been very pleasant, but my focus was shifted as she twisted her body, trying to leverage my body and slam it to the ground.

However, I quickly spread open a stance, preventing my fall. It turned to be futile, however, at least in her eyes, as now she was straddling my shoulders, her knee pressing against my neck arteries while her thigh and legs tried to choke me. Additionally, a sharp needle was hovered straight over my eye, threatening to stab it clean through my brain.

"Like this" Chelsea said teasingly. Her smile would be innocent too if it wasn't for the fact that she had a sharp object directed at my eye.

It's too bad her target was me.

She squeezed hard with her legs, but my reinforced muscles didn't budge an inch, only letting me feel a sensual softness her skin created instead. She was also struggling to keep hold of her grip on me, resorting to pulling my hair... again, to no avail.

In the end, what surprised her the most was the reaction of the people surrounding us.

All of them sported smiles of various kinds: mocking, pity, glee, and so on, with no one even moving forwards to separate us.

Lightly, I stroked her thigh, causing her to shiver and move the needle closer to my eye.

"Not bad, Chelsea," I acknowledged, genuinely impressed, "you're just unfortunate in picking your targets."

My hands moved faster than her, jamming the needle to its target.

In hindsight, how did she manage to hide the needle from me? I was certain I searched every nook and crannie-

Ah.

I forgot to check around more intimate areas...

Perverse as it sounds, it's the only logical place to hide them in the first place. My mistake.

She jumped off me as the sound of steel snapping clean in half echoed across the hall, her eyes wide as saucers. I guess she didn't expect me to shove a lethal object into my eye. Truthfully I had to reinforce my eye to it's limit, and drop the reinforcement I usually had constantly on my body to pull off that stunt.

"Please, don't be disappointed," I consoled her. "Like I said, you just have bad luck."

The crowd had already begun dispersing itself after her stunt, confident in my safety. Rather, I had a sneaking suspicion the reason they even got mad in the first place was because their pride was damaged with her able to come in so easily, not because of her lethality. Even Chouri, Spear, and Yoru also excused themselves, leaving me alone with her, knowing my intentions.

Chelsea looked conflicted. Being shown that she had no chance at all to kill me so blatantly probably damaged her ego.

"Was it really that disappointing?" I asked her, using the same teasing tone she used on me earlier.

I received a vicious glare as a reply, before a sigh escaped the girl's lips. "Not really, I never planned on killing you anyways. Just..." she ran her fingers through her hair, "a little peeved you were able to brush it off so easily. A girl likes being able to tease a guy and keep him on edge... At least, I do."

"Sorry to ruin your fun." I replied.

Chelsea lightly scoffed.

"As if. I see what you did during that conversation." Glaring at me again, she walked closer to me, stabbing her finger to my chest. "You used me as a stunt to help solidify the fact that you're an invincible warrior in the mind of your followers. It took me a moment to realize that you were playing me the entire time. Truthfully I'm dissapointed in myself for not noticing I was being played sooner. IT should have been obvious to me. You telling everyone how you were able to single-handedly defeat Esdeath in a one-on-one engagement and return without any severe injuries."

She twirled, brushing the tips of her hair against my nose. "Add the fact that you allowed an assassination attempt on you in your own home, then negated it with such a powerful image only helped solidify their picture of you."

"Well, you seem to have me all figured out."

Chelsea locked eyes with me again, before crossing her arms over her modest chest. "Not exactly. I still don't know what you plan on doing with me. You used me for what you needed already, now what? Kill me, lock me up somewhere no one will find, use me as a reminder for the Revolutionary Army to not try and cross you again?"

The girl put up a brave front, but I could see the slight tremors from her shoulders. She accepted that she could possibly die right now, but clearly she had an aversion to it. Perhaps my showboating earlier had broken her resolve, as I was sure she knew the risks when she took this job, but her pride was shattered tonight.

"Now, why would I do such horrible things? I'm not you."

Walking forward while ignoring her glare at my jab, I softly cupped her cheek, letting me stare right into her face.

"You belong to me now."

That statement roused a strange reaction from the girl. Like before, her mouth was ajar with surprise, but her face became more and more flushed, perhaps from embarrassment and anger, and now her entire body trembled. I had to be careful to dodge her attack, should she decide to slug me out of disgust. Did she not believe me? Did she think it's some kind of trick?

"Ah, let me elaborate," I coughed to clear the air. "I can always use someone of your caliber and talent, and like I said earlier, you are very impressive. Why should I waste you and let you go back to the Revolutionary Army?"

Once more, all I received was a cautious look.

"Are you... crazy?" She looked at me like I was a madman, her voice getting higher and higher. "I spied on you, kidnapped your surrogate little brother, and you're just offering me a position by your side? This-" she choked on her laughter, lifting a finger to motion me to wait. "This... excuse me for not believing you."

"No, I'm not crazy," I replied.

"If you don't want to believe me, then it's fine. You'd be an idiot otherwise." I placed my hand on her shoulder, before saying, "I'm doing this because I believe in you. Or more specifically your worth."

I turned around, as if declaring to the empty hall, "In this world, people have to take risks at certain times... especially nowadays. Can you feel it? This moment, no, this era is the one where the heavens opened their gates, allowing voices to surface and fight it out for a place in the history books. Some of those voices will be heard, while others will be lost in the echo."

I smiled at her. "I'm certain I can put you to better use than your employers. Now, what do you want for yourself?" I stepped closer back towards her, saying in a slow tempo, "Do you want to be heard? Or fade away as useless rabble?"

I felt like those devils inside some cheap movies, offering someone two options, both a guarantee for their doom... Of course, if she accepted, I had no plans to harm her or put her in unnecessary danger. Just in case, I let my Charisma skill bleed into my voice, stringing her heart.

She looked away from me for a moment, and after some hesitation, spoke up.

"What are you fighting for?"

"I'm fighting for the realization of a better world." I closed my eyes in remembrance. "A long time ago I didn't have the necessary power to bring forth change... I was weak. But times are different now. Now, I stand a real chance to bring forth peace."

I stared right into her eyes, letting her know I was truly serious. "I am fighting for humankind's salvation. I will exterminate all evil and create a new, pure world."

I extended a hand towards her. "Chelsea, fight with me."

My tone was more of a request rather than a question, but I had a hunch Chelsea preferred dealing with firm personalities with a solid ideal, rather than indecisive people who needed to be guided every step of the way.

I felt a hand clasp in my own.

Her eyes blazed with incredible intensity.

"You're telling the truth," she stated blankly.

"Of course."

"I don't trust you."

"That's fine."

"Like how I have to earn your trust, you have to earn mine, Shirou Kotomine."

"Good."

She closed her eyes, her hand grabbing mine even tighter. "The people... deserve better than this oppression. They deserve to be happy, to be treated fairly, to be prosperous." When she opened her eyes, killing intent stabbed itself into my being."If you are just playing with their hearts... I swear I'll put you down, no matter what."

Her last statement was even firmer than mine. Excellent.

"Go ahead."

Then, just like that, her personality flipped back to her original facade.

"So that's that for now!" The auburn haired girl leaned in close to my face, saying with a cheerful voice, "Well, if I'm going to be working for you, then you might as well show me where I'll be staying. Isn't that right, Shirou?" Chelsea winked.

"Ah... er, I guess so," I managed to squeak out, a bit uncomfortable with her sudden mood swing.

Women.

Damn, I couldn't wait to be done for the day.

Some sleep was desperately needed, after everything that happened. I might have the powers of a Servant, but, like Jeanne d'Arc, my human body still needed its sustenance. Sleeping and eating weren't actually vital, but my strength would've been sapped dry if I didn't indulge myself.

In the end, today was a beneficial day overall. Esdeath was out of commission, for the meantime, and I gained a skilled assassin as an extra piece, even though she would have to be monitored strictly for now. I had my reservations regarding her loyalty towards the Revolutionary Army, as there was definitely some zealots like that, but it turned out my gamble was correct: her heart was with the people.

Perhaps something happened in the past? Something which weakened her attachment to the Army... Could it be the death of her comrades? Her family? Mission failure?

Regarding this question, I should investigate later on, preferably with Chelsea's agreement. No one liked to have their past dug up, after all.

Eventually, we arrived at what I decided would be Chelsea's room, which was only two rooms down from my own. I told her if she had any questions or concerns, to come find me. As per the usual procedure, I warned her not do anything crazy, or else I would be forced to actually end her. The tour finished with me pointing out the general rooms in this mansion, of which no doubt she had studied before sneaking in, so there was no need for me to give her the full service. It was mainly for the sake of formalities.

Bidding her goodnight, I entered my own room and stripped out of my clothes, hanging up my Shroud in the process.

I was about to drift off, until a disappointing thought appeared in my head.

'_I never got my hot soup in the end...'_

**XxXxXx**

**A/N: Truthfully I am really pleased with how this chapter turned out. Now I'm sure there will be some mixed reactions regarding how things ended, and I'll try my best to answer any questions regarding my decisions through a PM. I actually had a good bit planned for this chapter but this whole scenario took longer than I thought it did, so I had to leave it off for next chapter. I hope that you all found some enjoyment with this recent installment and until next time.**

**P.S. I used Gaelic for the language Shirou used for his magecraft. ****Tromluí means nightmare. ****Oscailte means open.**

**P.S.S. I'm thinking of doing a RWBY side project for whenever I get writers block. I actually have another story going for me right now that I recently started called Legacy of the Body Flicker when I feel the need to take a break, but I've been wanting to do a RWBY story for a good bit now. Of course it won't be a main project, at least not until FNR is done (this is my baby after all). There's a poll on my profile where you can vote. Thanks! Have a nice day everybody! **


	14. Chapter 12

**A/N: I want to start by saying thank you everyone for all of your support. FNR broke the 200 review mark last chapter and I really don't know what to say. With 561 followers, 460 favorites, and now 215 reviews this story has come a long way, and it is because of all of you. I never thought I would get this much support when I started out, but I'm happy to have such great readers to work with. So again, thank you!**

**P.S. Finally found out how line breaks worked xD**

* * *

'_Ah... that's the spot...'_

Slowly, I took a sip of my warm, rustic tomato-basil soup. Masticating the flavor, I let the savory taste fill my taste buds, before swallowing it down my throat. The warmth spreading throughout my core, as if massaging and caressing my tired insides.

My face must have held a really stupid look, since both Yoru and Spear were looking at me like I was a circus attraction. At the very least, the elderly former minister was on my side, understanding that a nice bowl of hot soup, after fighting with a sadistic psychopath with unparalleled ability in manipulating ice, was a normal craving.

"Er... Aniki, it's just soup, right? The chef is incredible, we know, but are you sure there's no weird drug in there? You're fawning over it like it's your last meal, or something."

I put my spoon down, and the atmosphere around me turned just a tad bit colder as I focussed on Yoru. It seems to me that my naive little brother needs to understand something.

"Yoru."

"Yes, Aniki?"

"Would you like to spend a couple hours in the freezer room?" I sent him a bone-chilling smile. "I feel like it would be a great way to improve your endurance and maybe... just maybe, you'll learn to have an appreciation for the small things in life. Like some delicious hot soup, for example."

Yoru visibly stiffened.

"Um... a-actually, I think I should just let you enjoy that soup! Hehehe..." he nervously laughed.

"Good decision. Spear, do you have anything to say as well?" I turned my attention to the blonde teen.

"No-not at all, Shirou. I think you should enjoy whatever you're having to the fullest!" Spear said nervously. The girl obviously thought better than to comment on my not so overreaction.

I smiled at her, the atmosphere of the room turning back to normal. "Then, allow me."

I brought the spoon up to my mouth, preparing myself for the next satisfying taste to fill my mouth once more.

"Oh? Is that tomato basil? That smells great! Let me try some!"

Before the spoon could reach my mouth, it was taken from my grasp and found it's home in the mouth of an auburn-haired vixen. Chelsea made a contemplating face, looking like those judges on cooking shows on TV, before giving a couple nods in approval.

"Hey, Shirou, this is some pretty good stuff!" She beamed a smile. "I give it... a solid nine out of ten. Send my compliments to the chef."

Chelsea then leaned over me, tracing my chin with a lone finger. "But you, mister... are a nine-and-a-half out of ten. If you only could learn how to properly treat a lady, you'd be perfect!" Chelsea finished, grabbing the rest of my soup before starting to walk off, going to find her own seat at the table.

Since she had her back facing us, she failed to notice Spear's and Yoru's look of horror at my expression.

Chelsea didn't get any farther than three steps away, before a Black Key pierced her shadow. I walked in front of her, dragging my own chair along, and took my soup and spoon back from her thieving hands. Setting down my chair in front of her, I calmly sat down and started eating, deliberately slurping with a lot more flair than necessary to home in my point.

Finally, she let out a look of painful betrayal.

"If you wanted me to stop and give you your soup back, you could have just asked nicely, darling. This is exactly why you're not a perfect ten! Now, how about you let me move around? I'm starviiiiiiing...!" Chelsea wined.

I paid the girl no attention. My eyes focued solely on my meal before anything else can try and stop me. I've waited too long for this after all, and I will not be denied.

There was no better example for the phrase 'carrot and stick'.

As I was finishing my soup, I noticed that Yoru was messing with Chelsea's immobile form. It was mostly harmless, some constant poking and the occasional harder jab. It was clearly getting on the girls nerves, her small glare and twitch of the eyebrow that followed the boy as he continued to mess with her made it obvious.

'_This could be fun.' _I released the hold the Black Key had on Chelsea.

The next moment, Yoru found himself on the ground after being elegantly flipped by Chelsea, a foot firmly planted on his chest.

"Sorry, kid, but I really don't appreciate you touching me so much. You're not my type." She said smugly, before pulling up a chair next to me. Yoru got up, slightly annoyed, but he probably knew he deserved that.

I sent Chelsea a look, relaying a clear message: 'Don't touch my soup'. I only received a teasing smile in response, before she called someone to bring her an omelette.

To be fair, I was glad she was accepted into my ranks without much of a fuss. It's always a problem for newcomers, especially said newcomer was just trying to kill your own boss the day before. Of course, the glares and some shoulder-bumping happened, but nothing much more than that. Everyone's at least treating her cordially, if not too friendly. However, there was some exceptions, of course. Such as the more... _personal_ members...

"You shouldn't be sitting so close to Shirou." Spear growled from her seat.

Chelsea gave the blonde girl a pondering look.

"Why not? The seat was open, so I took it. I don't see why you're making it such a big deal, late-comer. Unless… are you jealous?" She sneered at her mockingly. "My apologies if that's the case, princess."

Spear visibly blushed, and it took her a couple seconds of incoherent blabbering before she could answer, amusing Chelsea to no end. The girl was a major tease, perhaps on the same level as Leone, or even worse.

"I. Am. Not. Jealous! W-Why would I be jealous that you're sitting close to Shirou? That's just ridiculous!" Spear answered with a shrill voice, talking so fast I could barely make out her words.

I made a blank face at Spear's weak argument.

'_Spear... you are being way too obvious about your true reasons.'_

"You're also still on our radar. We don't fully trust you yet! How do we know you aren't going to try anything?!" Spear shot out.

"Now, now... Spear, Chelsea is one of us now. Let's try and make her feel a bit more welcome." Chouri told his daughter patiently.

"It's fine, Chouri-san. I'm a girl, so I understand the anxiety of having my own boyfriend being approached by another, better woman, so it's normal for her," Chelsea replied, sending a wink my way.

In the background, Spear's blabbering occurred again.

Chelsea put a finger to her chin, seeming to think about Spear's words. Knowing her, she's just putting up the pretense of actually contemplating her words.

"Well, I guess being cautious of me sounds a lot better than your blatant jealousy, but I don't really think you have anything to worry about." Chelsea leaned back in her chair, hands behind her head. "We all know I can't really harm him after yesterday's display."

"Hell, yeah, you can't!" Yoru exclaimed from his seat.

At that moment Chelsea's omelette arrived, and the auburn haired girl decided to focus her attention on her food, effectively ignoring Yoru. He looked slightly annoyed at being ignored, but thankfully didn't make another fuss.

I cleared my throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Yoru, Spear, I need you two to stop antagonizing Chelsea. Until proven otherwise, she's one of us now. It's good to be wary, but we don't need any open provocation."

I gave my empty bowl to the server, before saying, "We're all on the same side. We can't expect to gain her full cooperation if we make her feel like an enemy. You know the rules of the house, I expect you both to follow them."

They looked like they wanted to say something, but kept quiet.

Chelsea waved her fork in the air. "I appreciate you looking out for me, but it really isn't needed. I can take care of myself. If I'm to be honest, their opinions of me don't really matter. Only your opinion and the former Prime Minister's opinion is what I care about." Chelsea proceeded to take another bite of her omelet. "Chouri's opinion matters because he's just a genuine and sweet guy. I've heard plenty of good things about him and what he tried to do for the citizens of the Empire when he held power. Also, he seems to be the only one not to hold any hard feelings over yesterday's events."

Chouri just smiled at Chelsea, sipping a cup of tea. "I understand you were just following orders. Besides, like Shirou said, we fight for the same cause, and if he deemed it to be a good decision to bring you into our forces, then I accept his judgement on the matter." Putting down his cup with a small clink, he said, "He's our trusted leader, after all."

"You accept his decisions so easily... Is there a reason for that?" Chelsea asked, now with genuine curiosity.

"Shirou just has this... aura around him. My daughter and I feel safe around him, and he has provided us the means of continuing to make a difference in this cruel reality. He also saved my daughter and I from the Three Beasts when I was sure we were going to die. It was a truly hopeless situation, but only Shirou made the impossible possible. He changed our fate and extended his hand out towards us. That's when I knew he was a man I could follow." Chouri said earnestly.

Chelsea's face scrunched up for a second when Chouri mentioned the Three Beasts, so slight I almost didn't catch it. Perhaps she had had a bad run in with them in the past? That's something I'll have to remember later.

I wiped the corners of my mouth, partially to hide my proud smile at Chouri's admiration. "I promised you after all, Chouri-san, that I'd come to your help, correct? It was actually a gamble to give you that thing, as I had no idea if you'd actually call me on time. I'm more than happy you did, or two good people would've perished that day."

"Well, I guess that's an excellent explanation. Thank you for the insight, Chouri-san." She then turned towards me, smiling mischievously. "Wanna take a guess as to why I care about your opinion, Shirou?"

"Because I hold your life in my hands, and it would be best for you to stay on my good side?" I answered her bluntly.

Chelsea feigned being hurt by blunt remark.

"Boo! Oh, well... I guess that's part of it, but not the key reason." Chelsea's tone of voice lost its playful edge, "I care about your opinion... because I liked your sincerity yesterday. It made me actually believe you can make a difference, not just the useless talks those hopefuls I know, or knew."

She closed her eyes, letting her fork drop to her plate. "The Revolutionary Army could do the same, but... my voice will never reach them, or the people I want to save and protect. You're different I think. I know you will give me a chance to let my actions truly mean something, and to actually make an impact on this rotten world." She looked straight at me, no bullshit. "I felt I could do all that with you."

Silence followed her statement, and her answer impressed me.

Yesterday, she astounded me with her resolve, and today she had surprised me with her own personal reasonings. I can relate with her desire to follow the most efficient path, and glancing around the table, I could see that Chouri agreed with what Chelsea said. Even Spear and Yoru had some form of begrudging acceptance for her words. It really made me wonder who she was, underneath all that masks. A tease? A revolutionary? Maybe only a nervous girl who only wanted to know her role in the world? It could very well be a combination of these traits, or something else altogether.

Of course, right after this serious moment, Chelsea had to say something to ruin it.

"It also helps that you are such a handsome specimen, though, Shirou. If I can manage to have you keep a high opinion of me, maybe I could get closer to you...?" Chelsea said seductively, her more playful demeanor taking hold once more. She dragged a finger down my chest, leaning down so the tip of my nose nearly touched her moderate bust, much to Spear's ire.

'_One thing is certain... Definitely a tease, possibly part succubus? I have to note this on my to-research list.' _

I pushed Chelsea away, careful not to touch anything inappropriate. Closing my eyes, I fought back the impending headache as Spear started yelling at Chelsea while the headphone-wearing assassin just laughed at her.

I coughed in my hand to gather the table's attention.

"It's good to see that we're all finally getting along…" I glanced over at Spear, who was glaring at Chelsea. "...kind of. However, there is something that I would like to inform you all of."

Everyone waited patiently for me to continue.

"Today, I am going to Night Raid's main base to inform them of my bout with Esdeath, just to confirm any rumors, that's all. Second, I'd like to know their success in engaging the remaining Three Beasts. Third," I gesture at Chelsea. "You're going to be coming with me."

Chelsea's mouth hung open at my declaration.

"Huh?! W-Why me? Wouldn't you be better off taking Yoru or someone else if you just need a travel buddy?"

From the look on Yoru's face ,he was thinking the same thing. A split second later, Chelsea realized my goal, but I beat her to the explanation.

"That's my original plan, but it'd be a nice gesture to announce our partnership, no?" I smiled at Chelsea.

"So I'll be a message to the Army, then? A parade?"

"You catch on quick. I hope you don't mind."

"Not really, I expected this to happen."

I snapped my fingers. "Ah, right, one more thing. You know Night Raid better than me, so you can be an intermediary. I assume this won't be a problem?"

She clicked her tongue. "That's true, I guess. I find it a little strange, because I was going to be assigned to them in the near future, actually..." She trailed off for a moment, before shaking her head. "Not all of them know me, though. My only contact is Najenda, the leader. I guess you've met? She's the only one who knew about my mission here, since I was to be reassigned to her unit."

"Really, now?" I couldn't hold down a smile at that particularly interesting information.

"That makes bringing you over to my side all the more sweeter. You're saying she also know about how you were made to spy on me as well, correct?" I asked.

She was puzzled with my question, before pointing her fork at me. "Hey, Shirou, do you have sort of rivalry with Najenda? Sounds like you do."

I pondered her question for a little while. To be honest, I didn't view Najenda herself as a rival, as she didn't pose enough a threat, nor did she give me the motivation of personal growth. The closest thing to why I was reacting the way I was would be…

"No, I just think I like annoying her." I replied cheekily.

I received looks from around the table for my answer.

I could only shrug and lift up my arms. "Even I'm guilty of enjoying small things, at times."

"When do you plan on leaving, Shirou?" Spear asked.

"Preferably, as soon as possible." I replied.

Chelsea stood up from her seat. "Let me grab something from my room real quick and I'll be ready to go."

I nod in approval.

Chelsea returned in just a matter of minutes, a small bag in hand and a lollipop in her mouth. Looking at me, she leaned forward and gave me a mock salute, a smile on her face.

"Alright! I'm all ready to go, boss!"

* * *

The trek to Night Raid's hidden base had been uneventful, so far.

Chelsea and I had been on the move for about 2 hours, and were approaching the general area that Leone said that their base was located. I found no reason to rush, and I was certain once we got closer, someone would be kind enough to greet us.

"Hey, Shirou? Quick question."

"Yes?"

Chelsea moved in front of me and walked backwards as she spoke, balancing her body beautifully to avoid tripping on the rocky and uneven terrain.

"When do you think I can have my Teigu back? Other than it being my main tool in assassinations, I keep... some important stuff in it, kind of..."

"What kind of 'important stuff' are we talking about? Your Teigu can store extra items in it?" I asked her, genuinely curious.

"Well, yeah, it's designed like a makeup kit so it has some compartments in it. Also…" Chelsea stopped, causing me to stop as well. "Don't you know better than asking a girl about her personal items?"

I raised up a finger.

"It's that kind of secret. Don't worry Chelsea, I understand. The location of all your _interesting _literature is safe with me. I won't tell a soul, and I'll try my best not to judge. Where I'm from usually homosexual relationships are looked down upon as well as writings of homoerotic literature. Despite being a believer in the lord I do think people have the right to chose who they love, and a right to enjoy the literature that suites their tastes. I won't say a word." I consoled her, my voice betraying nothing.

For a few seconds, Chelsea was rooted on her spot, her lowered bangs hiding her eyes from me. The next thing I knew, she launched herself at me, hands spread wide like an eagle trying to snatch its prey.

"Give it back! _Give it back now!_" She frantically shouted at me with a red face, her hands grasping nothing but air as I dodged every single one of her attempts.

After a few more minutes of playing cat and mouse, she eventually conceded our difference in physical abilities, and leaned on the bedrock while panting.

"Ah... uh..." She tried to talk, but her breathlessness cancelled that effort. Gulping a fresh breath of air, she glared at me.

"I had no idea you're such a tease."

"Well, I indulge myself every now and then. I had no idea you actually read such _interesting _writings. It was a total guess on my part, but how you reacted basically confirmed it." I told her, cheekily.

She 'humph'ed away, exaggerating her displeasure. With her head still pointing the other way, she thrusted her hands towards me, palm up.

Feeling sorry for her, I handed back her Teigu.

Her neck snapped back into my direction, a surprised look on her face at me easily handing over her weapon. Understandable, of course, since I wasn't the type of person who actively sought out trouble by being honorable and prideful.

She held the Teigu in both hands. "Just like that? Not afraid I'll use it to try and run off to the Revolutionary Army or anything?"

I simply gave her a calculated smile. "Not at all. You are my own now, and I would rather have you well-prepared for anything unexpected that may happen." My smile turned into a smirk. "Besides, do you think you could actually run from me, even if you tried?"

"Good point." Chelsea replied, rummaging through her Teigu.

"So, will you tell me wha-" I was cut off by Chelsea shoving a lollipop in my face.

"Here!" She said, sporting a happy grin on her face.

I took the piece of candy from her. This is what she kept in her Teigu? Lollipops? Didn't she already have a bag filled with them in her room?

"The lollipops in the bag I brought are my emergency rations. The one's in my Teigu are the good ones." She said with pride. "You should feel special! I don't share these with just anybody. But because you decided to trust me, I think I can spare one." Chelsea said as if she read my thoughts, before plopping a lollipop in her mouth, giving me wink.

Maybe now's a good time to pay her back for her antics this morning?

"Thank you," I said.

However, instead of unwrapping the lollipop she gave me, I handed it back. Amidst her confusion, I popped out the lollipop already in her mouth and put it inside mine.

"Cherry, not bad. Let's go."

Behind me, a slightly red-faced Chelsea picked up her pace to catch up with me.

* * *

Another fifteen minutes passed.

I raised my hand, stopping Chelsea from going forward.

"No need for us to go any farther, they know we're here." I told her. I decided to lean against a tree as I waited for our chauffeur. Might as well rest.

"How do you reckon that?"

"One of the Night Raid's members, Lubbock, has this whole area rigged with his Teigu. He probably detected us a couple of minutes ago. They'll find us eventually, no need to keep moving forward."

"If you say so." Chelsea sat down beside me. "What should I expect when they come get us? Hostility, neutrality, friendship? From the reports I've read in the Revolutionary Army, it seems things are tense between the two of you."

"Well, you're not wrong." I raised my hand, counting off my fingers. "Two of their members are on friendly terms with me. One despises and fears me. The rest of them are wary of me. Lastly, Najenda is always trying to get a read on me."

The auburn haired girl let out a low whistle in response. "This is going to go soooo well. I can tell already."

"We'll be fine. Also, our guide has arrived."

A blur of yellow drop down from the treeline, as Leone made herself known to us.

"Glad to see you're okay, Shirou, but now might not be the best time to visit." Her tense face delivered all the messages I needed to know. "Things are little uneasy at the base right now." A sad smile appeared on her face, before she noticed Chelsea.

"Who's the girl?"

"Ah, I'd rather not repeat my explanation later. Can we see Najenda now? There are important matters both of us need to inform each other, and some to discuss, as well."

Leone frowned, but she recognized I wasn't going to budge on the subject.

"Fine. I'll take you to the boss, but don't expect a warm welcome or anything. Everyone is on edge." Leone turned around and started dashing off, gesturing us to follow.

"Like I expected a warm welcome from your group in the first place." I replied coldly, chasing after her, Chelsea keeping up right beside me.

"I never knew you had a girlfriend within Night Raid," she teased me again. "Is the blonde bimbo more your type, or do you have a catgirl fetish? Poor Spear is going to be so distraught..." Chelsea said with a fake sympathy in her voice.

I scoffed lightly. "Leone is a friend. Well, we had a couple drinks, and she drained my wallet dry. Her trust is expensive, but worth it. At least she's friendlier than her comrades, that's for sure."

"Oh, so you treat her nicely and buy her drinks when you first met, but with me, you place me under a curse and humiliate me in front of all of your followers? What's up with that?" Mock hurt present on her face.

"Our first meeting was me shoving my elbow in her gut, and rendering her unconscious in front of her friend if you want to be fair." I looked at her, a sadistic glint in my eyes. "If you want to have a taste, be my guest."

"So, to recap," she said, "You're the type of guy who beat up all women you met for the first time? You scum!" She exclaimed the last words with a mock sincerity. "So our next plan together is drinks, right?"

I stared at the auburn haired girl, a smirk on my own face. "Don't flatter yourself."

I started moving faster, leaving Chelsea behind.

"You still need to learn how to properly treat a woman!"

* * *

Regarding Night Raid's supposed main base... I was half-disappointed.

Its facilities were incredible. Large multiple training grounds, natural springs for relaxation, great natural landscape being contoured to their own traps, plus a system of self-sustenance in the events of a siege. It's a much grander base than I expected.

However, it's also the reason for my disappointment. For a base for _assassins_, it sure as hell was incredibly conspicuous. Come on, did they really think a base this big, about the same size as those modern military facilities in my previous world, could be hidden by the foilage and the cliff? Or did the people in this world has no sense of preservation and discretion whatsoever? In all honesty their base in the Capital was much better.

"Come on. She's waiting for you."

Leone led us through the hallways of Night Raid's '_secret_' base, and opened a large set of double doors.

"They're here, Boss."

The double doors opened to a sizable hall. In the middle, there's a slightly bigger chair than the surrounding sofas, giving the impression of a makeshift throne. Of course, the leader, Najenda, was sitting in it, with the rest of Night Raid's members sitting on the other chairs.

'_Oh? it seems there's someone missing... The tall, armored guy... Bulat, is it?'_

"Sorry for the sudden visit, Najenda," I immediately started. "This may sound rude, but can we skip the pleasantries?"

"Ah, I hate it when someone starts a conversation that way." Najenda exhaled a puff of smoke, before saying, "I guess a delay isn't possible? Maybe later, over some meals and drinks?"

"Sadly, no." I shook my head, before letting out an audible breath. "First, my condolences for your loss. I didn't bring any tribute, so I hope this statement is enough. I'm being sincere, believe me."

She closed her eyes, with the rest of her subordinates letting out sad faces and regrets.

"Thank you for that. No need to make much of a fuss... he knew the risk of this line of job." She leaned back, gesturing to the young Tatsumi beside her. "He succumbed after a fight with the remaining Three Beasts, and the job was finished by Tatsumi."

"Then why do you all look so pathetic?"

My words instantly turned the atmosphere to sub-zero.

"Shirou," Leone growled menacingly, her canines showing. "I may consider you a friend, but one more word about him and-"

"And what?" I challenged all their killing intents. All of them had their Teigu in their hands, Najenda even stood up from her seat. They were all ready to attack. Well, all except Tatsumi, who just sat there moping silently.

I turned to one slim, katana-wielding assassin. "Tell me, Akame, was the assignment complete?"

No one questioned how I managed to gather information regarding Akame's mission in this tense atmosphere, though. Akame simply answered softly, "Yes, all targets were consigned."

"So Bulat died doing something he believed in, and was proud of doing. He was a good man. Strong and virtuous, wasn't he?"

The silence confirmed my question. I looked at Tatsumi, who had stayed silent until now.

I crossed the distance between us in one strong step. Some threads tried to block me, but they were too hastily constructed and was torn easily. An energy blast from Pumpkin missed completely due to my sudden dash, and three Black Keys pierced the other three shadows to pin them in place.

I stared down at Tatsumi's pitiful form.

"What gives you the right to act more pathetic than everyone else?"

He didn't reply.

"If you're not going to say anything, then I'll provide the commentary, no?" I asked mockingly.

"There you were, lying down, helpless, probably due to some stupid mistake you made yourself. Bulat protected you, or maybe he was just trying to fight without any useful backup and in return got fatally injured and died." Still no answer.

My gaze intensifies. "So your promise to Sayo and Ieyasu was meaningless, empty?"

A fist slugged me straight in the cheek, but due to the sloppy technique, I barely felt it. However, it's a sign of progress. A response.

"You're right," a dark voice simmered from Tatsumi.

"I... I was pitiful! That mission... during it, I was trash! Nothing more than a pedestrian on the sidelines!" His voice got louder and louder, to let out all the emotions he buried. After a few words, it turned into a yell. "I can't do anything! Aniki... h-he fought magnificently, while I couldn't do a fucking thing! USELESS! I'M USELESS!"

I smiled at his out pour. Human hearts were fragile, and it's actually a positive activity to let them bleed out the building emotions inside. The words 'acceptance' and 'resignation' were the two main points of this exercise, and they would only make this boy stronger.

"What do you have on your back?"

"It's Incursio's key... he said he'd leave it to me... but I can't do shit with it like Aniki did! I managed to kill the other guy, but...!"

"But, nothing!" I exclaimed sternly, snapping the boy out of his self-deprecating rant.

"So what if you can't use it well enough? Do you think Bulat's a stupid man, giving his prized weapon to a wimp in his dying breath?" I grab his shoulder and bring him close to me, our eyes gazing into each other. "He believed in you. In your own potential. Now's a good time for you to start believing it as well."

I released my grip, letting him fall back into the couch.

"Instead of moaning and moping, make him proud by mastering it in return, surpass him. Carry on his legacy. It'd be a nice tribute to his memories, don't you think?"

His eyes had no trace of his previous weakness anymore. There was a fire of determination burning strongly, slightly blurred by the tears. He silently nodded, his grip on Incursio changed from the terrified, white knuckles to a firm, resolute one.

I looked at each of the remaining members of Night Raid, before stopping at Najenda's eyes.

"You knew Bulat far longer than Tatsumi ever did. You should have known what he would have wanted. You're the leader, don't make me do your job for you," I said coldly.

I did't bother with waiting for any sort of reply before stepping back into my original position beside Chelsea. I didn't see it clearly, but my peripheral vision caught her approving look.

I clapped my hands, saying, "Now, can we all put down our weapons? There's no reason for any hostilities."

The Night Raid members flinched at the verbal jab, but proceeded to lower their weapons. The tension in the room slowly dying down.

Najenda was about to say something, but shut her mouth once she saw Chelsea standing slightly behind me. A flash of recognition passed through her face, fast enough to avoid her subordinates from noticing, but not from me. I was honestly surprised it took her this long to notice who exactly I brought with me. I'll attribute that with Najenda not being at her optimal level currently.

I waved at Chelsea to step forward, bringing the attention to her.

"She's the reason I'm here. So, to start the introductions... if you would."

She curtseyed playfully in front of them. "Greetings, everyone! I'm Chelsea, formerly from the Revolutionary Army, and I was going to be your new teammate! However, I've recently found a new employer. We thought it would be nice if I came over and say hi!"

At the sudden bombshell, the Night Raid members turned to their leader for an explanation.

Najenda put out her smoke, before explaining, "Everyone, meet Chelsea. She's just what she said, and is... _was _ to be reassigned to our unit, though that plan's blown to pieces now," she glared at me, "isn't it, Shirou-san?"

"Isn't that a little harsh?" My mocking smirk brushed off Najenda's barbed comments. "We're only here because I thought it'd be very much appreciated by the Revolutionary Army if I officially announce our partnership in the open. No need for expensive information, no backstabbing, just honesty. And by 'our', I mean Chelsea and I."

Najenda managed to stifle her shock, perhaps already figuring out the reason Chelsea was here. However, it didn't prevent the surprise leaking out from her own voice. "What does he mean by that, Chelsea?"

"Oh, nothing much more than what he said," she whimsically spoke, taking another candy from her Teigu. "It'd be nice for you to tell the Army about our new... agreement, that's all."

The boss of Night Raid narrowed her eyes. "Are you defecting? Why? You've always been loyal to the cause, that's part of the reason why you were going to be reassigned to Night Raid."

Chelsea simply laughed. "Ahahaha! You're being too harsh, Najenda. It's just... let's take it as a simple department transfer, okay? Both you, Shirou, and I are still pursuing the same goal, so why the fuss?" She innocently put both her hands behind her head.

Najenda looked worried.

"You're compromised," she stated matter-of-factly. The one-eyed lady walked over to Chelsea, grabbing her shoulders. "Chelsea, if he's threatening you, we can do something about it! There's no need for you to do this... we can find something together!"

The assassin calmly removed Najenda's hands, both the normal and metallic one.

"You don't understand, do you?" She smiled pitifully at the white-haired woman. "I admit, I was compromised, but I joined his side on my own free will. Do not mistake that. I'm still loyal to the cause. I would never betray my beliefs. However, this is the path I think I should take."

"How did he-"

"It doesn't matter," Chelsea cut her off. "All I care about is how Shirou can help me achieve my dreams faster and better than what the Army can offer me, and in return, I give him my services and loyalty. Simple!"

She backed away from Najenda, sort of putting me in between the both of them.

"Sorry, Najenda, but I won't be joining Night Raid. Consider this my official resignation from the Revolutionary Army. Besides, we're not enemies, as we're fighting for the same thing after all. Who knows, in the future there might be some situations where we have to work together."

I place a hand on Chelsea's shoulder. "Well said, Chelsea."

The auburn haired girl relaxed under my tough.

As I turned back to leave, I left a parting message.

"Najenda... all this time I've never placed anyone in Night Raid or the Army. I'm a patient and benevolent man, and I shall overlook this transgression. However, regarding the first statement, I expect the same respect from all of you from this time onward. If you pass over the limit, well... just ask Esdeath."

I looked over my shoulder.

"Ah, don't bother looking for her. She'll be in intensive care for the next few months."

Without another second wasted, we left immediately. I had other arrangements after this.


	15. Chapter 13

**A/N: Chapter 13 is finally here. Not very happy with the chapter as a whole, I probably scrapped it at least three times and it is also on the shorter end when it comes to most of my chapters. I must thank my beta for doing a fine job with some of the edits making the chapter more presentable to everyone and I promise next chapter will be better. Something is going to happen and I am going to enjoy it ^.^**

* * *

I had Yoru, Spear, and even Chelsea focus on their combat training for the last couple of days, and it looked as if the constant hours of work they've been putting in have been bearing fruit. The next few plans I had almost necessitates combat, and if they wanted to stay by my side as per their oaths to me, they had to get into shape. Comparing the three, it's almost as if I was observing a trio forming a rock-paper-scissor situation.

Unsurprisingly, being the only male of the three, Yoru was the physically strongest. His stand-up abilities, based on the Snake style, was almost immaculate. Most importantly, however, his motivation still remained the same as his first day, a trait I had to praise out loud. In a fair fight, he could defeat the two ladies in a one-on-one situation. That said, the emphasis on 'fair fight' was a bit too much for my liking. He's weak to unexpected situations and unorthodox tactics, though with experience, I expected him to overcome that weakness.

"Stand still for a moment, and let me hit you!" Yoru yelled out in frustration.

"That would be counter productive for me." Chelsea replied in turn.

Chelsea easily dodged a combo of punches thrown out by the young boy, before dropping to the ground in an attempt to sweep him off his feet. Yoru saw the attack coming, jumping over it and lashing out with a turning roundhouse kick in retaliation. The auburn-haired assassin managed to bring her arms up in a hasty block before the attack landed, but the force behind the kick still caused her to stumble on her back due to her already lowered position.

A pure assassin, Chelsea was the physically weakest of the three. Her techniques in hand-to-hand and weapons combat were great, her flexibility allowing her to cover for her lack of strength. However, she still admitted to me she's not as comfortable in a frontal assault as her usual methods. This speciality wasn't bad, per se, as her skills as a covert operator was perhaps second to none in this country, but her lack of ability to cope with exposed situations was a cause for concern for me. In a true match, her experience and guile could give her the upper hand against the other two, but this setup put her at a disadvantage.

I saw her swipe at the ground with her open palm, and when Yoru came rushing at her, intent on finishing the match, she used one of the oldest tricks in the book.

"Shit!"

Yoru was blinded as Chelsea threw sand in the young teen's eyes.

Grabbing Yoru's outstretched arm, Chelsea wrapped her legs around the appendage, dragging the younger teen down to the ground. Yoru couldn't even react to the lock and was easily brought down by his opponent. As soon as he tried to break the submission, Chelsea has already put her body into an uncounterable position, about to break his arm with a single snap.

"Yield." Chelsea demanded, a smile on her face.

"Fine, I yield." Yoru grumbled, Chelsea getting off of him as soon as he admitted his defeat.

A glint shot forwards to my face, once, twice, thrice, before changing into sweeping motions into my' flanks and legs. I leaned side-to-side with minimal effort to dodge the thrusts, before lightly parrying the swipes with my Black Keys and sent a fast sidekick as a counter. There's not much power in the blow, but I simply wanted to give Spear something to think, not just charge forwards like a bull.

In a fluid motion, she twirled her spear vertically, easily blocking my kick and embedding the pointy end at the ground. Possibly having seen Chelsea's win over Yoru, Spear used the same trick. She immediately lifted her weapon, sending sand and dust flying towards my face, obscuring my vision somewhat.

Smart, but it wouldn't be enough.

Every time her spear moved, a faint whistle blew itself into my ear, alerting me to its position. Ducking to avoid a wide swing at my head, I stepped forward before she could use the momentum of the attack to launch a lethal combination. I'd taught her how to fight in a super-close range with her weapon, taking some ideas from the Japanese naginata, but my step-in was too quick for her to react.

I placed a palm on her stomach, signalling the end to our spar.

"That's the match." I declared as the dust settled.

As soon as the adrenaline left her body, Spear fell on her butt, sighing, "I thought I had you that time."

"Don't put yourself down," I said, reaching down to help her to her feet. "Keep improving like this, and I have no doubt you'll be able to hit me soon."

She hit my arm playfully at the provocation, before joining her current teammates to assemble before me.

"The sand was good, though," I notified her, receiving a thank-you in return.

Watching the three of them, their general level of strength was certainly impressive. Yoru and Spear still had to polish their minute body movements to match Chelsea, but they're getting there very quickly. Their grappling skill was also laughable, so that's one area they definitely had to improve.

I suspected Chelsea felt she had hit a dead end in improving her skill, but my training proved otherwise. Her figure wasn't suited to a power-oriented style, though, so I had to teach her a workaround to counter that. I had begun to introduce her to some Chinese martial arts concepts, and the flowing nature of it was absorbed like a sponge by her. She complained at the physical exertion, sure, but she persevered nonetheless.

"Chelsea, Yoru, come over here for a moment." I called out to the two of them.

Yoru came over normally, but Chelsea was bouncing on her heels, swaying her hips a bit more. I had to admit, she had that movement down to perfection. It's not too exaggerated, nor too subtle, just enough to arouse the fantasies of most men, even with her slim figure.

"What is it, Shirou?" She smiled seductively, though now it's become an almost daily routine between us. "Finally deciding to get hot and sweaty with me? Very forward, but are you up to perform with these two watching? Not that I mind, of course," Chelsea told me, a foxy smile on her face as she dragged a finger across my chin.

"I have no such inclination, but if you're so eager, then I am sure I can find some time for you," I smoothly replied.

Chelsea was caught off guard for a brief moment, but quickly composed herself, that sly smirk of hers appearing once more. "Oh? It is nice that you are finally taking notice of my needs. Keep this up, and you might finally convince me you know how to treat a woman properly."

'_She's still going on with that? I should rectify that fact...'_ I thought.

"You keep on saying I don't know how to properly treat a woman, but..." I slightly paused, causing Chelsea to look at me curiously, as well as Spear and Yoru. "There are several women that would argue with you on that front. They have all said I know _exactly_ how to treat woman, you know."

I finished with my own sly smirk.

The field was bathed in silence, so much so I could almost hear the grass rustling with the wind.

"WWHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?!"

A mad blush appeared on Spear's face as her brain finally registered and processed my earlier words. Her face was a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and... defeat?

"Oh? Surprised?" Chelsea kindly patted Spear's shoulder, before leaning in to whisper in her ears. "Didn't you say he's 'quite the handsome and charismatic fellow'? Why did you shout?"

"I-I-I did not! Say! That!" Spear furiously denied Chelsea's words.

The culprit was still smiling, albeit with a blush she couldn't hold down in the end, in response to my words. Good.

"Well, you kept on mentioning something that wasn't true. Eventually, I just decided it was time to inform you of the proper facts," I replied, enjoying the reaction from the two girls.

"I don't really get it. If Aniki said that plenty of women believe him to be a gentleman, which he is, why are the two of you getting so embarrassed about it?" Yoru asked, with as innocent of a look as a cute puppy on his face.

"You seriously don't know, kid?" Chelsea said, astonished. "Wow, even at your age, I knew what was just implied. I thought each generation was supposed to get worse and worse. You poor, clueless boy." Chelsea told him with genuine pity.

'_Aren't you just a few years older than him?!' _I deadpanned in my head.

I was torn. The 'man' side of me wanted to educate him in the birds and bees, claiming it's my duty as a fellow man and his surrogate older brother. My 'Church' side wanted to protect and retain his innocence, refusing to taint him with the indecent knowledge. Ugh, what should I do...?

...ah.

Okay, now that's over, I decided to keep silent. He'll find out soon enough, since he's seen what those bastards at the government did to women. Sooner or later, he'd encounter such situations, and that'd be a good time to make him understand.

The boy simply shrugged at Chelsea's words, and the subject was dropped. The lull gave Chelsea the time to regain her composure, but Spear was still blushing heavily, seemingly not forgiving me for my words. I had to spend some 'private' time with her later...

"Now, let's move on." I cleared my throat before continuing, "Seeing how much each and every one of you have progressed, I'll take you all along with me in this mission."

A sparkle appeared in Spear's eyes, and Yoru sported what could possibly be the world's largest smile.

"It would be counterproductive for me to keep you all here. To truly improve, you also need field experience. I admit, I was thinking of just bringing Chelsea again, but because Esdeath is currently out of commision, now is a good time to bring you along. At the very least, I don't have to worry about a single one of you engaging her."

I saw Yoru's fist pumping silently behind his back, his face still having that grin from earlier. Usually, he's very composed for his age, but I understand his excitement at what can amount to his first field trip. Spear was also silently bobbing up and down, brimming with desire to impress.

Of course, the vixen decided to do her usual teasing.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to leave the kids here? I wouldn't mind another little... _one-on-one_ adventure with you," Chelsea said, crossing her arms and giving me a playful look, a trademark lollipop in her mouth.

I felt a sudden weight on my left arm, Spear clutching onto it. "Yes, he's sure! Besides, Yoru and I want to show Shirou what we're capable of!"

I internally sighed at the huge opening Spear gave to Chelsea. Really, this girl made it far too easy and desireable to tease her... and not just Chelsea, but Yoru and I had recently poked in a few jabs as well. Being a nice and innocent girl had its perks, and I like her very much, but it's not helping in this situation. Hopefully, they'd cut out the jokes and banters when we're in the field.

I glared at Chelsea for her untimely comment, but she simply shrugged her shoulders and shot me a knowing look.

For a moment, another figure overlapped with her. Black, smooth hair cascading to the ground, darker than the night. Pointy and delicate ears, with a regal but seductive face, her body wrapped in a midnight-black elegant dress which showed her figure...

I blinked a few times to erase the image, focusing back on the present.

"Right, so let me tell you all what we are going to do."

My three companions were all ears.

"With the Empire's weakened state and the constant harassment they are receiving from the Revolutionary Army, now is the perfect time to go hunting."

Yoru seemed to know what I'm alluding at, but Spear and Chelsea didn't have a clue what I'm talking about.

"Hunting for what Shirou? Danger beasts?" Chelsea asked.

"Oh, this is great! We're hunting for some new toys!" Yoru told the assassin, a lively smile on his face.

"Well, I guess that's one way to put it," I said softly. "We're going to be hunting for the Shingu."

Chelsea whistled.

"Wow, I'm impressed. Never expected you to know about those things." A greedy look flashed in her eyes. "I knew you were ambitious, and I like it! However, please tell me you at least have some sort of idea where the Shingu might be?"

"No need to doubt Shirou. Of course he has some sort of plan or idea of where to find them," Spear jumped to my defense.

I held a hand up to calm the girl. "I appreciate you trying to help, but Chelsea wasn't trying to argue or anything, Spear. It's a legitimate question."

I faced Chelsea. "I have a general idea of where they could be located." I patted Spear's head, causing her to blush once more. "Spear's father, former Prime Minister Chouri, has some nice informants that have been able to provide me the general possible location. Once I'm there, I should be able to see if the info is any good."

"Not that I doubt you, because if I've noticed one thing in my short time with you, it's that you somehow always find a way. Just curious as to how you'll know?" Chelsea inquired further.

I lifted a lone finger.

"It's magic."

"Ugh..."

Groaning at the explanation, she accepted it nonetheless. I had explained some basics of Magecraft to her, just the gist of it, but I didn't explain much further to her, or to Yoru and Spear. Since they couldn't use it, and the people in this world couldn't do it as well, there's no sense in teaching them.

"Well, if that's all, we'll be leaving shortly. Pack amenities for at least three days, and I'm going to notify Chouri to set up an emergency line, just in case," I informed them, before turning back to the mansion.

I found him waiting in the kitchen, probably waiting for Spear to finish her training. The last few days, I had him running errands around and out of the capital, building connections and network for people sympathetic to my cause. Most were already affiliated in some way with the Revolutionary Army, but Chouri managed to convince them to invest in me instead, so I gained quite a considerable increase in political power. The speed he did it was only a testament of the man's character, being the beloved former Prime Minister before Honest deposed him.

"Chouri," I called out.

His face looked absently at the window before I greeted him, but instantly snapped to the direction of my voice, a smile blooming on his wrinkled face.

"Shirou!" He exclaimed, opening his arms to gesture for a hug. "Not the person I was expecting, but always a pleasure!"

He heftily patted my back once I threw my arms around him, asking, "What can I do for you?"

I released myself from his embrace.

"We're going after the Shigu, all four of us. I wanted you to hold station here, and act as mission control for emergencies," I told him. "Not for long, perhaps only two to three days, but just in case."

He nodded easily, but still, there's a crunch on his eyebrows. Naturally, of course, since his beloved daughter will be put in danger, even if he trusted me to get her home safely. Being an orphan, I didn't understand a father's emotions very well, so I took his begrudging acceptance in stride.

"You're taking this better than I thought you would," I noted.

A soft sigh escaped Chouri's lips.

"Well, it'll happen sooner or later, I guess," he shrugged. "I won't be around forever, so I can't constrain her forever and spoil her. Besides, it's what she wants as well, so I won't bother arguing against the two of you."

He put a palm on my shoulder, eyes bored straight into mine.

"Just promise me you'll do your best to protect them," he said sternly. "Not just her, but Yoru and Chelsea as well. Those three are the bright next generations, destined to take over after us two hit the dust."

The answer was already obvious before he even finished his sentence.

I nodded assuringly. "I promise."

"Good," he replied, a relaxed smile returning to his face. "By the way, I'm going to run the emergency procedure once more with you in case we got under attack, alright?"

"Fire away."

He took a breath, before explaining, "In the event of an attack, I'll call for you with the tool you gave me, in the same way I summoned you when I was attacked by the Three Beasts. Then, I'll hold station as long as I can, but our lives are the priority, and I'm to retreat as soon and as safely as possible."

I smiled happily in agreement.

When I returned to my students, I was glad the two girls hadn't started bickering again. In fact, all three of them were buzzing with anticipation in their own ways, even the experienced Chelsea. Their cargo was already packed neatly to one side, just enough to not be a hindrance during a long trek. In hindsight, travelling directly after morning practice and so soon after breakfast might be too much of a stretch for them, but I wanted us to camp by nightfall, so the schedule was tight.

"Sorry for the wait," I greeted.

All three of them saluted me back, but Spear's face seemed a bit off. Knowing what she would say, I declared, "Don't worry, Spear, he's fine with you coming along. Make sure you give him a good hug when you return."

Her face brigthened up. "Hehehe, I'll make sure to do that!"

"Good, now," I looked over everyone. "Remember, we'll go on a hard pace, no stops until meal time. We're going to be running the whole way, since other parties might've caught wind of it at the same time as we do. I don't want them to steal our prizes. Clear?"

Spear and Yoru vigorously agreed with me, but Chelsea, as ever, complained with a small voice how much I was a 'slave driver'. Well, it's just Chelsea being herself, so I let it slide.

"I appreciate all of your enthusiasm," I said, smirking at Chelsea's glare.

"Let's go!"

* * *

"Shhiiiiiirrrrrrrooooooooouuuuuuuuuu... I'm tiirrreeeeddddddd..." Chelsea whined.

We've been running non-stop for several hours now, right after leaving the mansion. Deliberately taking some detours to avoid being followed, we're running along a thick vegetation, a place where there's no paved roads or signs of civilization. Even for an avid adventurer, I had to admit this route was very harsh, but our training should be able to cope with this much.

So I ignored her.

"Shhiiiiiirrrrrrrooooooooouuuuuuuuuu... I'm hhuuuuunnnnnngggggrrrrrrrryyyyy..." Chelsea whined again.

"Just because I said that lunch was going to be the only stop we make, doesn't mean you can try and start using it as a way for us to stop," I said sternly, slightly annoyed. Again, this was just how Chelsea was.

"Actually, Aniki, I'm starting to get hungry too," Yoru sheepishly added.

Unbelievable, the both of them.

Checking the map in my mind, we should be nearing a small elevation soon. I had been navigating using the contours around, overlapped with the map my informants had created. It served as a double-checking system should something was amiss, with hidden buildings and fortifications being the main target. Something which didn't add up on the map would be very well-concealed here, considering the thickness of the treeline and undergrowth, so it's a method I relied on, since I couldn't maintain Structural Grasping for too long before my mind gave out.

Reinforcing my eyes, I could see a cliff face about one mile away, exactly on the area indicated by the map. So far, so good. No traps, no hidden doors, no ambushes... or as far as I could detect, anyway. I was trying not to rely too much on my Revelation skill, though having it as backup was reassuring, in a sense.

"There's an area we can stop at, about a mile out," I declared to the three people behind.

A triumphant smile emerged on Chelsea's face, while Yoru was embarrassed for inadvertently helping her cause against me. Spear was silent, though her body language spelled relief at the news, signalling it might be the right time to stop anyway.

By the time we arrived a couple of minutes later, the three of them voraciously devoured their lunches, though Spear at least had the decency of waiting for my approval before indulging in her food. While they were eating, I chose to scan the land before me, the high vantage point giving me a good angle for the job.

While nibbling on my sandwich, I note the area around the cliff was more barren than the forest we previously traversed. A gut feeling told me I had made a mistake in choosing this location to stop, since it's far too open for my liking. Thankfully, there's no sign of life as far as I could detect, so we should be safe for the time being.

Nearby, a small mountain range stood out, only about one thousand feet high, if the map was correct. A single large river looped around the complex, shaping the terrain into a rough ring. According to the information I received, the highest peak in this mountain range was my target, standing high and proud to the sky in the center.

I inhaled and exhaled, activating my Skeleton Key. To accurately Grasp an area this large, I needed the boost, partly to protect my eyes and brain from overloading. Since it's a part of my Noble Phantasm, it's quite Prana-intensive, but it served its purpose well.

"Found something you like?"

Chelsea's adorable face appeared in my field of vision, a hand on her hip.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yep!"

Chuckling, I said, "The Shingus are in that area." Pointing at the largest mountain, I explained, "There should be an underground cavern leading to a storage depot or some sort. My Magecraft couldn't penetrate much further, but the mere existence of such a structure is worth the investigating alone, no?"

Chelsea sighed, shaking her head exaggeratedly. "You know, you should answer with 'I don't know... I only see you!' or something, if a girl asked that question..." She smirked, teasing, "A girl likes that, you know."

"But isn't it more fun if I played hard to get? It'd be boring if I respond exactly how you want me to, right?" I smiled. "Besides, a man likes his toys," I countered, referring to my excitement at finding the shingu.

"Fair enough, I suppose, boys and their damn toys..." Chelsea replied in a mock-hurt tone, "Even when there is a beautiful girl before you, you don't give me your time."

"I don't think you could handle time with me," I shot back.

A spark seems to have emerged in Chelsea at my verbal challenge. "We'll just have to see about that then, Shirou. I am a force to be reckoned with."

Chelsea took her lollipop and shoved in my mouth, and left to rejoin the others with a wink.

If I was a lesser man, I probably would have been flustered by her action, but I took it in stride. I had dealt with more arousing teases before, so nothing had changed in the slightest.

I made my way back in time to see Yoru, Chelsea, and Spear ready to advance again.

Oddly, Spear seemed to be nervous, much more than before. She's been calm all the way in this trip, so what's the matter? Did something come up which I couldn't sense?

"S-Shirou... how is it?" She asked me with upturned eyes.

"What?"

"Er... the lunch."

Oh. _Oh_.

"Ah, it's delicious," I told her, patting her head for the achievement. "You've done really well."

She blushes, but smiles equally brightly.

"What about you, Yoru? Is it good too?" I asked the boy for his opinion.

He shrugged. "I didn't think you'd ask, or that she cared, but it's good."

That comment received a glare from Spear, and a laugh from Chelsea and me.

I gazed upon my three friends and companions.

"We're close. The target's inside that tallest mountain," I pointed out the place to Yoru and Spear, since I had already told Chelsea. "It'd only get even more dangerous from now on, so stay on your toes. Danger Beasts, traps, bandits, you name it. Be prepared."

"Of course!" Yoru exclaimed.

The run to the mountain was uneventful, apart from the exceptional Danger Beasts. I let Yoru and Spear handle them to give them some field experience, and they lived up to my expectations. Yoru liquefied a lion-type Danger Beast's brain through a precise blow to its cranium, and Spear swiftly dispatched a horde of eagle-types with minimal twists and swings of her weapon. Hopefully, once I get my hands on the Shingu, I could find some which suited their styles to give them a boost, or at least had them as inspiration to craft some more Mystic Codes for my two students.

Unfortunately, Chelsea's Teigu actually interfered with her ability to use other weapons. Both Shingu and Teigu were closely personal items, and the use of one was heavily imprinted onto the user's body, burdening them somewhat. Using two at the same time was tantamount to suicide, she told me, since the information overload would quickly turn anyone attempting it insane or in a coma. Instead, she focused on my combat courses, and I had some more armaments for her to try, inspired by assassins in my previous world.

After a while, we arrived at what I presumed was the entrance. Formed of a solid stone wall, it's heavily covered in moss and vines which cracked it on the edges. Still, the mechanism to unlock the door seemed complex and delicate, with a quick Structural Grasping suggested it'd still work perfectly even after all this time. A complex stone tumbler puzzle was installed in the middle of it, about twice as tall as me.

"So, Aniki how are we going to do this? Is there some secret passage that you know how to open? Or are you going to do that Magecraft stuff to teleport us inside?! Teleporting would be pretty sweet, imagine how that would feel! And-" Yoru started blabbering quickly.

'_Sorry to rain on your parade, Yoru, but... I'm not some clever archeologist who's passionate about solving these damn things.''_

Breathe in. Breathe out.

I rotated my entire body, feet rooted in a firm stance. The rotation traveled up from my feet to my legs, from my legs to my hips, from my hips to my back, and finally to the end of my fist. Reinforcing it to the maximum, my fist shot out faster than a bullet, though not quite passing through the sound barrier.

The door-slash-wall crumbled into rubble with a bang.

Apart from a few scuffs, my hand felt fine. Still, the small injury showed I still have a way to go in Reinforcement, but that's for another time.

Turning back, I saw Yoru with his mouth wide open.

"Or... you could just force your way in. That works too," Yoru remarked softly, eyes empty and hollow.

Spear placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before walking past him to stand beside me. Chelsea followed, but not before flicking the back of his head, causing him to send a glare her way.

The pathway which the door-slash-wall previously hid was crudely carved out of the mountain rocks. Judging from the shape, it's likely to be shaped with explosives, rather than precision tools, making the walls ragged and full of indentations here and there. With no lighting on the inside to illuminate the path, it's reminded me of those horror movies I watched back in my world.

"Come," I called out. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we get back home."

With that final note, I took the first step inside the depths of the mountain.


	16. Chapter 14

**A/N: Besides some Summer classes I have no excuse for how late this chapter was, sorry everyone. Anyways please leave your thoughts in the review section or PM me if anyone has any questions or comments. I try to answer as many reviews as I can. Hope you all enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

The path through the mountain was a lot simpler than I anticipated. So far, there's nary a deviation from the main path from the entrance I forcibly opened. I'm worried, because it's both a blessing and a curse. A lack of pathways could make travel simple and quick, but the same time, we wouldn't be able to avoid any full-lane traps if they activated, which I assumed to be quite numerous. I wasn't particularly worried about myself or Chelsea, but Yoru and Spear could struggle with sudden panic situations due to their inexperience. I was confident they could hold their own, but if we're to be separated, well... to be honest, their chances would drop dramatically in case they're caught off guard.

"Yoru, pull out your torch, it's starting to get darker in here," I ordered.

The path carved into the mountain was crudely made, so there was a distinct lack of natural light. No supplementary systems were installed in this passage to provide vision either. This meant the farther we traveled deeper into the mountain, the harder it will be or us to see.

It's a necessity and I could live with the risk of someone detecting us. The torch was more for the three of them who couldn't use Magecraft, since I, and to some extent Chelsea, could detect enemies' presence without using sight. Sadly, my Structural Grasping could only deliver so much information, and detecting life forms was a little hard for me. There's a few traps along the way, with the basic tunnel layout already mapped out, but it's the one hiding in my blind spots which worried me the most.

On that note, though...

"Everyone, duck!" I ordered.

No questions nor complaints were voiced. Yoru, Spear, and Chelsea executed my command immediately.

A barrage of bolts flew over our heads harmlessly.

"Careful for a pitfall about 200 meters ahead, eight stories deep and connected to a room about 50-by-30 meters. There's no mechanism to cover the ceiling, so I suppose it's a fall designed to kill you, and I bet there's several Danger Beasts to finish the job hidden down there. Let's be cautious with the jump, okay?"

"How the hell do you know all of this? We've never been here before," Yoru asked me.

I was going to answer his question, but Chelsea beat me to it.

"Come on, Yoru, you stayed with Shirou the longest out of all of us. It's probably more of his magic mumbo jumbo," Chelsea answered, ruffling Yoru's hair.

"Magecraft, Chelsea. There's a difference," I corrected her.

Chelsea waved me off. "Magecraft, magic. They both sound magical to me."

It's a good thing we're not in my previous world, or most of the magi hearing her comment would have an aneurysm. From her viewpoint, though, she had a point.

I sighed. "Well, with the lack of knowledge here, your opinion is fair enough."

Chelsea perked up my at answer. "Oh my, Shirou... did you just admit I was right? Is this the part where you now confess your feelings for me, and we enjoy a romantic get away?"

If I was to turn around and face her, I am positive the vixen would attempt to put me in a compromising and sexual situation. Then Spear would get offended and start yelling, and Yoru would be dense all over again. I don't need this.

I was content to just ignore the comment made by Chelsea, but sadly things don't always work out for me.

"Do you have no shame, Chelsea? Shirou is a respectable man and you take every opportunity to advance on him," Spear huffed.

I can imagine how Chelsea is rolling her eyes at the other girl.

"Please, Shirou knows I'm just playing with him. Maybe you should stop being such a stick in the mud. That's probably part of the reason why you've never had a boyfriend before, Spear. Learn to relax and be free at moments. Guys don't like it when you're overly serious. Live a little, take a risk," Chelsea responded in turn, her hands pulling on Spear's cheeks as if massaging a tough piece of steak.

I turned my head towards the two bickering women.

"I'm really going to have to remember not to pair the two of you up without my supervision. You'll seriously kill each other," I sighed, palming my head.

The two of them were always at each other's throats. To be more accurate, it's Chelsea constantly taunting and teasing Spear, and the poor girl just doesn't know how to respond. I just prayed for her sake she can just ignore it soon, or else I truly think Spear will blow her gasket.

Actually, that might not be a bad thing. Chelsea just might respect her more if she did.

Looking back down the single corridor, I sent out a couple pulses of magic energy, simliar in practice to echolocation. The magic energy would branch out and bounce back once it came into contact with something. I already used Structural Grasping earlier, but it wasn't able to give me any information on any living enemies that might be within the confines of the area. This technique should hopefully be able to give me the info I desire.

After a couple seconds, my magic energy ping returned to me. The results were better than I expected.

"There's two individuals farther up ahead, one male and one female. I have no other info on them. The fact that they were able to find this place and make it so far within insinuates that they're at least capable. Stay on your toes, one isn't that much farther ahead while the other seems to have found what we're looking for," I informed my team.

A simple nod from everyone and the serious looks on their face let me know they understood and would perform whatever I found necessary of them to do. I picked up more speed, traveling at a much faster pace than I did previously. I was still able to sense everyone else behind me. The fact that they are able to keep up shows they've been serious about their training, filling me with a small sense of pride. They've all come a long way already, even Chelsea who spent the least time with me.

I soon felt myself nearing another individual, I couldn't yet see who it is with how dark the tunnel is, but…

A Black Key materialized in my right hand as I block the sword that was aimed at my throat. Without wasting any time, I kicked out with my left leg, sending my attacker into the wall. A soft grunt echoed through the tunnel. A shame. If he didn't scream, I must not have hit him as hard as I thought I did.

"Shirou!"

Sending a quick glance back, I saw that Yoru has arrived with the others. The three of them quickly stood in front of me, facing the opponent who was now visible in the torch light that Yoru held.

The man was lean and fairly muscular, wearing an all-black upper garment which revealed his toned chest and light-colored pants, held together with a sash. With his head cut in an ugly triangular bob cut, I couldn't help but think this guy has some serious fashion problems.

"I underestimated you, but this time I'll take your head," the unknown assailant said, as he picked himself up off his feet. "My name is Enshin of the Wild Hunt and I am going to enjoy murdering all of you, however…"

His gaze traveled towards Spear and Chelsea. I saw a hungry gaze in his eyes, and once his tongue left his mouth I knew what he wanted to do with them. I was about to put an end to him that instant, but a soft hand on my chest stopped me. Chelsea stood before me with a ferocious smile on her face, instead of her typical sly grin.

"You go on ahead, Shirou, and get to the Shingu. Spear, Yoru, and I are more than enough to handle this disgusting waste of flesh. You said there was a second person and we don't know what they want, so go. Don't worry about us. I think Spear and I especially want to teach this guy a lesson," Chelsea told me, her voice full of determination.

My eyes travelled until they locked onto Spear.

"Don't worry, Shirou. After the training we received under your tutelage, someone like this won't be a problem,"

Well, if they're so determined, who was I to say no? I did bring them along for field experience, after all. I can't babysit them forever.

"Very well, then. Don't take too long, or we'll have an _extra_ difficult training session after this, okay?" I smiled dangerously, making them gulp.

"Of course, the reward is always equal to the risk, so I'll give you something nice if you do succeed."

Having spoken my part, I quickly darted down the tunnel. The Shingu were soon going to be in my grasp.

* * *

Yoru watched as Shirou sped down the dark corridor. He knew that whoever else was within the mountain with them wouldn't be able to deal with his aniki. Now all that's left for him is-

The young teen dodged out of instinct as an invisible blade of air flew where his head was previously located. Yoru proceeded to run towards what was in his opinion a very stupidly dressed individual, the type of outfit he was wearing couldn't be effective in the slightest.

"Chelsea, cover me and Spear!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a small hail of senbon were already flying at their opponent.

"Foolish!"

With a swing of his Teigu, their attacker deflected the sharp projectiles.

"Who the hell do you think you're dealing with? A couple brats thinking that they can take me on without even using a Teigu? My Teigu Shamshir shall soon taste your blood!" Enshin declared, his tongue trailing across the flat of his blade.

"I think you've talked enough!" Spear shouted as she reached Enshin with her... well, her spear making contact with the opponent's Teigu. Enshin swung around, trying to land a vertical slash along Spear's neck, but she was able to block the attack easily, before retaliating with several quick thrusts of her own, forcing Enshin to disengage.

"You're nothing compared to Shirou! I can read your movements without a problem!" Spear taunted, her weapon held across her body, ready to react at a moment's notice.

"Bitch, don't you talk to me like that!" Enshin shouted in anger, the Wild Hunt member couldn't hide the waves of embarrassment that coerced through him. He was chosen by the son of the Prime Minister to be a part of his elite task force, damn it! He can't be having trouble with a couple whores and a boy! If Syura finds out that he's been taking this long to deal with a couple pests...

'_No, it's better not to think about it.'_

"You should really pay attention more."

Enshin's eyes widened as he saw Yoru appear right in front of him, the boy's fists held tightly, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

'_How the fuck?!' _

"I don't know what caused you to be so distracted, but don't think I'm going to let this opportunity slip past me," Yoru said cold heartedly. His fists flew before Enshin could even set up a proper guard, easily whipping around Enshin's Teigu and landing a savage combination of blows against the man's body. One hit to the solar plexus, the spleen, right rib cage, and finally the left temple sent the man sprawling across the ground, gasping for breath, blood leaking down his head from the cut Yoru's fist made upon impact.

"Ugh, you're still alive," Yoru moaned. "Aniki is going to have a field day with me later. I'm supposed to kill you with three strikes maximum, you know. I can't believe you survived after four."

Before the young teen could move forward to finish off his opponent, sinister laughter filled the tunnel.

"Hehehe… hehehe... You'll have to get out of here alive before you can do something like that!"

Yoru's sense of danger was the only thing that warned him to move. Twisting his body around, the young teen barely avoided the blade of wind that whistled at him. After regaining his footing, Yoru felt a warm sensation on his right side. Reaching with a hand, he realized it was his own blood.

'_He got me?' _

"Yoru!"

Turning his head back, he saw Chelsea gestured for him to fall back as Spear rushed forward to take his place up front.

"Don't think you're getting away from me that easily, you damn brat!" Enshin shouted in rage, blades of wind being released from Shamshir towards his retreating figure.

The attacks were a lot more vicious than anything from before, and it was proving to be difficult for Yoru to dodge everything. Small cuts started to appear on his body, the main problem being that it was the air itself trying to dismember him made it all the more difficult.

"Don't forget that you have more than one opponent!" Spear shouted as she intercepted a wind blade with her weapon. Enshin looked shocked, obviously not expecting the girl's weapon to be able to block his air blades.

"Chelsea, check on Yoru and make sure his injuries aren't too serious."

With a twirl of her namesake weapon, Spear dashed forward at Enshin, crossing the distance between them while evading multiple air blades from the Wild Hunt member. Once she was close enough, Spear spun her weapon around her back, trying to bisect Enshin in one blow. The man's previous injuries dealt to him from Yoru were slowing him down, and he barely mustered to bring his blade up in a hasty block that sent him skidding backwards slightly.

Before she could continue her attack, though, she was forced on the defensive by the strength of his sword. It's categorized as a Teigu for a reason, and the sudden ferocity made her think he was underestimating them in the start.

'_Is he getting serious?'_

His blows were furious, and just like Yoru before her, Spear was finding it difficult to defend against the aggressive onslaught. She was holding out a lot better than Yoru, having a solid weapon gave her the option of actually blocking the attacks coming her way. Shirou's training helped her to avoid major injuries, and with both parties sustaining blood loss from both their wounds, they're at a stalemate

"Oh? You're doing really well, blondie. I might have to savor you first!"

A face of disgust appeared on Spear's face as she shoved back Enshin's Teigu, a surprised look on his ugly mug.

"I am not someone to be played with!" Spear shouted as she thrust her weapon at Enshin's face.

"Hehehe..."

Spear's eye's widened when her opponent twisted around her weapon and smashed his open palm against her throat before grabbing onto it tightly, pushing her against one of the walls of the tunnel.

"Did you really think you could beat me? You're good, and if you had the right weapon you may have had a chance. But when that boy's first attack failed to kill me, your chances of victory fell astronomically."

The man's eyes roamed Spear's body, "You are a cute little thing. You will definitely satisfy my urges." Enshin cooed, the flat of his blade caressing the side of Spear's face.

"Sadly, I don't think she's interested," an ice-cold voice declared.

Enshing turned towards its source, but three senbon needles pierced through the wrist of the hand holding Spear in place.

"ARRGGHHH, FUCK!"

Enshin dropped Spear in his agony. The girl kicked out, hitting the Wild Hunt member on his right side, aggravating the injury that Yoru inflicted earlier, causing the man to curse in pain as Spear scrambled away.

"Hurts a lot, doesn't it? A lot more than three simple steel needles should," the same voice called out.

Enshin started looking around frantically, but now he couldn't even tell where the voice was coming from, but that's the ridiculous part. He was in a one way tunnel. There couldn't be too many places for this mysterious voice to come from.

'_Wait… where's the tunnel?'_

All around him, there was only darkness. Everything was pitch black, darker than any night. The walls of the tunnel were gone, and all Enshin could see was his own body and his Teigu. The three brats he was fighting previously seemed to have disappeared, which was impossible. People don't just disappear, right?

"Poor Enshin, lost and alone. The three brats he was hunting have evaded and him. Worst of all he now finds himself as prey, how worthless. You were supposed to be part of an elite unit? You're better classified as cannon fodder, if you ask me," the cold voice from before rang in his ears.

The member of Wild Hunt lashed out in fury, swinging his Teigu around like a madman, not caring at all that in all intents and purposes he could'nt cut someone's voice, but the man felt like he had to do something. The voice, it was mocking him, telling him he's powerless...

'_To hell with that.'_

So he kept swinging, swinging, and swinging, but eventually he lost the energy to do that. His Teigu Shamshir was unable to produce it's cutting blades of wind anymore due to its wielder's exhaustion.

"I am Enshin of Wild Hunt, and when I get out of here I'm going to-"

"You're not going to get out of here, Enshin," the voice interrupted. "You see, this darkness you're in…" the voice sounded closer, "is going to be your grave, and do you know what's going to be the best part?"

Words couldn't escape Enshin's mouth, he was unable to speak. He didn't know whether it was from fear or shock, but the voice, the cold mocking voice kept creeping closer to him. He no longer had the will to even lash out with his Teigu.

The man could have sworn he felt something caress the side of his face.

"No one's going to miss you once you're dead," the voice finished.

Enshin felt something sharp and cold press against the side of his neck, and then he knew no more.

* * *

Chelsea dropped the dead body on to the ground, picking up the dead man's Teigu. The auburn haired girl let out a sigh as she wiped off the small bit of blood that squirted on her face after she removed the senbon from Enshin's body.

"Well, he's been taken care of. We didn't handle him as cleanly as I would have liked, but what's done is done. Shirou's going to be pleased we were able to retrieve his Teigu too."

Chelsea turned her head towards Spear who was still rubbing her throat. "Sorry I didn't help you out earlier. That first cut that Yoru got was deeper than he and I both thought, so I wanted to at least apply some emergency first aid to it. Any deeper and the kid could have been bleeding out without even realizing it due to the adrenaline. It also looked as if you were able to hold him back for a good while, nice work." Chelsea said, offering a Spear a hand, which the blonde accepted.

"Will Yoru be okay? You made it sound as if he was really badly injured," Spear asked, her worry for the youngest group member evident in her eyes.

"I'm right here, you know, and I'll be perfectly okay. Stop making such a big fuss about it."

Spear looked towards the young teen, and saw that his jacket was off and the area around his stomach was wrapped with bandages. "See? I'm all good, I don't even feel it," Yoru told Spear with a small smile before turning to Chelsea.

"What did you do to that Enshin guy? After those senbon of yours pierced his wrist he started going crazy and shit, and eventually just stopped doing anything."

A sly smile emerged on Chelsea's lips, "Just something Shirou helped me out with."

She reached a hand into a pouch and proudly showed them what's in her palm. "Here, take a look!" In it, there were several needles, with the end coated in a violet fluid. "It's a hallucinogen we developed together, to complement my relative lack of physical strength, compared to you two muscleheads."

"Hey!"

Ignoring the protest, she continued, "Once a target has this in their bloodstream, it becomes easy picking for me." She enforced the idea by pretending to draw an imaginary line across Yoru's neck, but the boy reeled back in panic. Pushing the needle away from him gently, Yoru gave a sigh of relief once the sharp object was no longer in close proximity and moved to start making his way down the tunnel.

"Well, we did it, that's what matters. Let's hurry up and meet Aniki so we can gather the Shingu and-"

A hand clamped down on his shoulder like a vice.

Turning back around, Yoru saw that it was Chelsea holding him in place. "What? We gotta go."

"No, we're staying here," Chelsea adamantly refused. "Shirou can handle whoever else is in here. You and Spear experienced your first real battle and I'm going to make sure that you two are okay physically and mentally."

Her words were annoying and grating, at least to Yoru. Shirou had already warned him of the effects of his first kill, but truthfully, it didn't bother him in the slightest. Perhaps the victim being a complete jackass helped, but they're trying to do good for the world here! There's no time to waste, and-

Unexpectedly, his argument was shot down by Spear.

"I actually agree with Chelsea this time, Yoru. We need to make sure we're okay and Shirou can definitely handle himself. You should know that more than any of us,' Spear added before Yoru could voice his opinion, stuffing the boys complaints.

"Fine... Doesn't mean I have to like it," Yoru consented with a frown.

Chelsea's arm slinked around his neck and brought him closer to her.

"Wouldn't expect you to. Now, be a good brat and let me take a close examination of that wound of yours."

* * *

'_I should be close, the antechamber should be just right up ahead.'_

Sure enough, within the next couple of seconds, I was greeted by large steel double doors, barring the path to my prize. At first glance, they looked very durable, probably to prevent forced entry. There was some sort of key pad on the side too, meaning the door required some sort of passcode.

I had no time to be dealing with such trivial things.

I opened this door just like how I opened the entrance to this tunnel: brute force.

I could practically see the air parting as I made contact with the reinforced steel. The frame of the doors shook upon impact. I was impressed the door didn't bust open after the first punch.

No matter.

Sliding my feet into a firmer stance, I brought both hands to my left side. With a firm twist of my body, both fists fire off like twin bullets fresh out of the barrel of a double-barrel gun, slamming full force into the object obstructing my path. This time it gave way, the imposing steel doors being blown open with a loud clang echoing through the chamber within.

Sadly, the doors didn't blast apart and fly off their hinges. That would have made for quite the spectacular entrance.

Carefully making my way inside, I was surprised to see how messy the holding area for dangerous weapons appeared. The overall make up the place seemed to be a dusty armory, but the items which I assumed to be the Shingu were just laying haphazardly on the ground. Nothing was properly stored.

I reached towards my right, wanting to pick up a fine looking broadsword-style Shingu that caught my interest. It looked like it could be a fine base for the weapon I had planned to to craft for myself, but before I could observe the weapon closely, an internal alarm rippled through me. Not an alarm of danger, but more like an alarm geared towards the supernatural.

I felt my Holy Shroud hum with power, before granting me increased defensive properties, which it only did under certain conditions. I served as an Executor of the Church long enough to know what that meant.

My attention turned towards the other person in the antechamber.

It's to be expected. There's a second life signature I detected from earlier, and raiding this place solo, especially with someone as unhinged as that perverted swordsman, was practically suicide. The person I was looking at defies my earlier expectations, though, both in terms of appearance and ability.

A young blonde girl with an old main-type clothing was standing there. It wasn't the modern-looking erotic one which was popular back in my world, or the elegant flair palace maid uniforms had. The design was old-fashioned, more in line with Dorothy from 'The Wizard of Oz' than maid cafés, with turquoise dress and a simple apron draping her thin body. The only peculiar object was the rabbit ears-shaped ribbon tied to her head, but having seen weirder articles, I took it in strides.

"Who are you supposed to be? What is Enshin doing... He's supposed to be standing guard, that idiot."

Her tone was calm, though annoyed. I understood it personally, since being partnered with someone like Enshin would drive anyone insane, but the emotion circulating through me wasn't the usual calm and warm antics. It's born out of habit, but also enforced by the situation.

There's no way I'd let a Dead Apostle leave this place alive

I appeared before her in an instant.

'_I should finish this before the others arrive.'_

"You should be more worried about yourself, apostle."

The surprised face quickly contorted to an agonized one as a roundhouse kick drilled into her side, launching her into a stand and knocking down several Shingus. She heaved painfully, trying her best to breathe and stand up with a side of her ribs being caved in. Truthfully, I applauded her for being able to do that much, because my current enchantments were supposed to be deadly to her kind, even with the slightest touch.

I moved forward to finish her off, but surprisingly, she still managed to launch a feeble counterattack in the form of a punch. Well, 'feeble' was an admittedly relative term, because if Yoru, Chelsea, or Spear took it, they'd be blown to pieces instantly, but to me, it's a weak and desperate attack.

I caught the tiny fist inside my hand, and again, I was astonished at the feeling of dull pain transmitted through my brain. Her strength must've been on par with a middle-class Servant, or the scaling of power didn't work the same way in this world. In any case, the strength in it was enough to send me reeling back if I wasn't Reinforced.

"You're quite strong for a little thing, aren't you, Miss Apostle?" I goaded her.

I felt her body tense through the fist I held in my hand.

"Stop calling me an 'apostle', I have no clue what the hell that is!" She growled.

Before she could try and hit me, I twisted her around and forced her body flat onto the ground, pinning her beneath me. She tried to squirm free, but was of course overpowered and in too poor of a position to truly do anything against me.

"Ah, forgive me, I guess in this world your ilk would be called vampires," I said, as realization dawned upon me.

Her body froze as soon as the word 'vampire' left my mouth.

"Would I be wrong with my assumption?" I whispered in her ear.

"How do you know?! You've never met me before," the apostle asked me, genuine concern lacing her voice. She knew at this point that her life is indeed in my hands.

However, she was stalling for time with her conversation, hoping that her teammate could possibly come and assist her out of her current predicament. A classic tactic.

"By the way, I don't know the name of your friend... associate, whatever he is. But I might as well let you know he isn't coming to save you," I told her.

"What do you mean by that? I'm not-"

I twisted her arm to the point that it would break like a twig with just a little more force. "Silence. You're obviously trying to stall me, hoping that your dead companion can come assist you with me. I'm just letting you know that no one is going to help you, so you better cooperate with me." Do I actually know if her companion is dead? No, but I fully expect him to be.

My captive's body completely relaxed, her will to struggle against me having stopped momentarily. Good to see she's not stupid.

"That's better." I gingerly patted her head with my other arm, much to her annoyance.

"First off, what do you want with these Shingu?"

Having the two of them here, being a part of a group... what was it? 'Wild Hunt', if I wasn't mistaken, meant there's someone else also trying to get their hands on a number of super-weapons. Though not to the caliber of the Teigus, the Shingus did have numerical superiority and variety, on top of more usable by normal troops. The idea of a warlord taking possession of them didn't bode well for me. I had to know their plans first before I destroy them.

"Before that, could you release me- Guh!"

I bent her arm a bit further, eliciting a groan from her and stopping her request.

"That's a 'no', if you're wondering," I said. "Like you, I don't have much time. Hurry up."

"Alright, alright!" She yelled. "I'm just a researcher, alright?! I'm here to study the condition of the Shingu for the Empire's use!"

I pressed on. "What is Wild Hunt?"

She paused in hesitation, but only for a moment. "It's a special force assembled by the son of the Prime Minister, Syura. We're... some sort of a special task force, if you like."

'_Now, isn't she a bit __**too**_ _cooperative?'_ I thought. It's not a disadvantage for me, because it's one less job, but it's getting slightly suspicious how a vampire would meekly tell the truth about herself so readily.

That said, with my hand primed to exorcise her right down to her ashes, I might be wrong.

"You're surprisingly honest," I mentioned.

She smirked. "You can tell? It's just survivor instincts, good sir, despite how low the chance of me surviving, that it."

I returned her smile, then gingerly used my other arm to gently lift her chin by the neck, bending her spine backwards so we met eye-to-eye. She twitched heavily by the gesture, because the neck area was a very sensitive and personal part of the body for vampires, and letting someone touch them was akin to a motion of trust and vulnerability.

The meaning of my gesture was captured perfectly within her quivering eyes.

"How would you assess their condition? Can you repurpose them as well?"

"I'm an alchemist. It was why I was recruited to be a member of Wild Hunt. My alchemy and Dr. Stylish's research were going to be used together to improve the Empire's might. I was personally going to try and recreate the Shingu and possibly make them something more."

'_Damn, she might be too valuable to kill.'_

Alchemy was something I'm familiar with back in my world. Although it probably worked slightly differently here, the possibilities that could emerge with a skilled alchemist on my side are great and could save me a lot of time. Letting her go was thus not an option, and killing her would be a complete waste of her skills. Skills that could quite possibly make my life a lot easier. If I recruited her, I'd gain a capable assistant and an informant at the same time. Now how would I make sure she doesn't betray me? Wait... that could work.

The decision was near-instantaneous.

I lowered my face to almost touch hers, before smiling saintly.

Even so, her frightened gulp was still audible.

"How about we make a deal, a sort of contract, hmm?"


	17. Chapter 15

**A/N: Accidentally posted the chapter for my other story, the proper chapter is now here, sorry about that everyone!**

* * *

"You know, Shirou, this is the ending I least expected from our mission."

Chelsea kept tapping her crossed legs with her fingers as she spoke from beside me. Meanwhile, I leaned back into my couch and sipped my tea slowly, savoring the beverage's calming effect on my parched throat. The mission itself wasn't overly stressful, but the trek back to the mansion was another story, even if I managed to collect all the Shingu available.

Both Spear and Yoru didn't conceal their displeasure regarding Dorothea's existence, forcing me to nervously watch over them to avoid letting them do anything rash. Given their past regarding members of the Empire, former or otherwise, their reaction was understandable. Chelsea, though, was surprisingly quiet all the way back, going back into her contemplative mode as she tried to derive my intentions.

"Oh? How did you expect it to?" I fixed a questioning glance at her, my left hand propping my head up.

A small amount of uneasiness ran through her body, which was a little unusual. Was she afraid of offending me? To be fair, I was actually amused at the current Chelsea. She wasn't the usual female fox who tried to tease everyone around her endlessly, trying to cover up her insecurities around a group of strangers. Her voice was laced with genuine curiosity, so I'll indulge her this time.

"If I may be blunt, I expected the complete retrieval of the Shingu-"

"-a complete success," I interrupted her. "All of it has been kept safe, a few of them right here in my Workshop."

She sighed, placing a hand on her hip.

"You know, it's not nice to interrupt a lady speaking."

Before she could react, I put my index and middle finger to the nook underneath her right ear. Feeling her soft skin and pulsating warmth, I said, "So, have you calmed down now? I did that so you can lower your nerves, Chelsea."

She blushed at the touch, in a manner not too different to Spear in the same situation.

Nodding, she continued. "Look, I know you'll never do anything to hurt us, and I'm truly grateful for that. It's just..." She hesitated slightly, her voice getting mixed with a sharp edge. "Someone from the Empire's elite unit... I can't help but be a little worried if you accept her so easily."

"Pfft... Hahaha!" Dorothea suddenly burst into laughter, making Chelsea shoot her with an annoyed glance.

Still smirking, the alchemist said, "What, that's all?! I'm here, selling my soul to the Devil so I didn't become minced meat back there in the mountains. From my point of view, I'm the one who's supposed to be worried, Missy."

"I'm hurt, Dorothea." I faked a heart attack, a hand on my chest. "Being called a Devil when I'm a Saint, that's insulting."

"Hmph, serves you right," Chelsea huffed, though the little twinkle in her eyes has returned. "Now, continuing at the place I left off, you mentioned a 'contract' with her on the way back. Care to explain?"

My mood was lightened by the lift in her own mood. Setting my tea down, I explained, "It's called a Self-Geas Scroll, by the way. A... soul-contract, if you will, with... _lethal_ consequences when broken."

Glancing at Dorothea's direction, I continued, "Well, don't worry about that too much. Now, we have a skilled and powerful alchemist joining us, and she can also learn from me. A win-win, though I win a bit more."

"Not that I had a choice in the matter, you fuck... Who would choose death when presented an option to live? Besides, as long as I abide to your rules, the curse the contract created won't eviscerate me and my soul," Dorothea grumbled.

"Any decent person that believes in what they are fighting for would gladly choose death over betrayal, but I doubt someone like you would be able to recognize the value in such actions," Chelsea interjected coldly.

To be honest, I hadn't expected her to cut in that rudely, and not just her timing, but also the antagonistic words. I supposed that's something from her past, but now wasn't the time to dig. I decided to just sit back and watch, waiting if she'd open up on the matter.

"Ehhh? Um... you're right. I don't understand," Dorothea replied, as she made a confused face. "Why would any sane person wish to die? 'Death' is the end, you know? Humans should try to find ways to prolong life, discover new things! Accepting their fate and their death by just lying down like that is just cowardly, escaping the burden of life."

A shift of weight from my side notified me Chelsea was standing up in response, a dark look in her eyes.

"You speak the words of a coward!"

Compared to Chelsea's sudden winding up, Dorothea's attitude was far more laid back. Maybe it came with age? She did say she had done some experiments in order to prolong her peak physical condition, and that her true age was far above my physical age.

"Really, I don't see the problem you have with me," Dorothea casually dismissed Chelsea's accusation. "Coward, brave, who cares? Aren't we on the same side now? If you're saying we have to stand to what we believe, I'm doing exactly that: I don't have any love to the Empire, only to my craft."

Before Chelsea could say another word, the alchemist continued, "That's the only thing which matters to me. Being here is advantageous to my improvement, so aren't I in the right? Choosing something I love over death is a clear option, or can't your head comprehend that?"

"You... you...!"

It's a rare sight of Chelsea not having something to say, as her pride contradicted with the logic Dorothea had just laid out. She clearly disliked the alchemist's opinion, but the professional within her secretly agreed with it. I couldn't help but lean just that _liiiitleee_ bit forward at this development.

"That's my issue with you!" Chelsea jabbed a finger in Dorothea's direction. "You're not helping a certain cause because you care for it! No, you're doing it for your own selfish reasons! You're despicable!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Dorothea stood up from her own seated position after her bout of laughter and strode over to stand in front of Chelsea, the shorter girl not giving any ground. "That's rich, yeah! I'm selfish, but aren't we all?"

Now that it's getting quite heated up, my palm started to curl around an imaginary handle, Black Keys ready to deploy at any time to restrain them. That said, this conversation had been very engaging to me, letting me gain insight into both of these girls' mindset.

Chelsea stared down at Dorothea, her gaze piercing into the blonde alchemist. Dorothea, in turn, curled her lips up into a feral grin.

"Let me explain something to you, Lollipop. I'll be the first to admit I'm selfish, but how are you any better? Let's face the facts. You might think you're righteous, fighting for something great, but aren't you just using others as well? What exactly are you siding with Mr. Saint over there for? You know he has enough power to bring forth change so you want to get on his good side in hopes he can use that power to bring forth changes that you want, because you're powerless to do so yourself."

The typically sharp tongued Chelsea was taken aback by Dorothea's statement, the mock-vampire's mind and tongue a lot sharper than I expected. I faked sipping my tea, but I still kept my vigilance.

Dorothea pushed on with her advantage, waving her hand. "Well, don't feel too bad... It's not just you. Everyone in this mansion is just as guilty." She mockingly patted Chelsea's shoulder, and said, "That boy... Yoru was his name, I think? His main driving factor isn't wanting to overthrow the Empire. Yes, he wants to topple the corrupt system, but his main motivation is Mr. Saint here. The kid is like puppy craving attention and praise. That Spear girl isn't much better with her obvious infatuation. I was able to notice it immediately. Then we have the Saint himself," Dorothea glanced my way. "You're the only one I haven't figured out just yet. You're fighting to change the Empire, but what do you plan on doing with it? One look at you tells me you're a schemer, a tactician. Is your end goal really something so grand as building a just system?"

Putting my tea down, I calmly answered back, impressed by her deductive capability. Really, lately I'd been meeting many smart women, though a softening of their personalities could be nice.

"No, not quite 'building a just system'."

My answer caused a rise in both of the girls' eyebrows.

"Anyone can claim to want to rebuild the current system. If I wanted to do something as meaningless as that, then I would simply be working for the Revolutionary Army. Rebuilding the government is good and all, but what happens several hundred years from now? History will end up repeating itself, because humans are stupid by nature. We claim to learn from our mistakes, but we always repeat ourselves. What I aim to do is not just toppling this corrupt world, and try to make it nicer."

I sent them strong glares, my eyes unwavering.

"I am aiming for salvation for those who are powerless and need someone to rally behind, until they can stand on their own two feet," I glanced out a nearby window, observing those under my care work and train. "Once the strong can acknowledge the weak, then my duty will be complete. Did I answer your question, Dorothea?"

The petite alchemist studied me, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Her fingers continued to tap against her arm in clear annoyance, though to whom I wasn't sure. My answers seemed unsatisfactory for her, leading to her slightly sour mood.

"I don't understand you, but I guess that's my fault for trying to." Sighing in defeat, Dorothea turned back towards Chelsea one final time. "I'm done with this conversation. Death is something to be avoided, and if you find that cowardly, then fine. I find you to be a fool for not fearing death."

Chelsea returned Dorothea's stare with a newfound intensity, her spirit remotivated.

"That's where you're wrong. I never said anything about not fearing death."

Dorothea raised a brow at that statement.

"I fear death. It truthfully terrifies me… It might be pathetic, an assassin afraid of dying, but it's the truth. However," Chelsea stole a glance in my direction, before returning her attention to Dorothea, "losing my comrades, and those I care for, terrify me more than my own death. And I would gladly sacrifice myself for my friends. I refuse to lose those I care for again!"

Dorothea had her mouth agape for a second, possibly trying to formulate a rebuttal. Finding none, she quickly snapped her mouth shut.

"Whatever." The blood-sucker looked towards me, annoyance visible in her eyes, "I'm heading towards your Workshop. I need something to occupy my time... Might as well get started on some of the work I'm contracted to do."

Without having my express acknowledgement, she waltzed off out of the room, leaving me and Chelsea alone. Moving my attention to her, I grew curious of the things no doubt flashing through her mind now, given she's still standing as still as a statue. Letting her talk first might be for the best, though, so I stayed quiet.

After a couple of seconds, Chelsea slowly turned towards me and took a lollipop out of her case before sticking it in her mouth.

An exasperated sigh escaped her lips.

"That was frustrating and awfully embarrassing. I didn't mean to get so riled up like that... It's really unlike me, hehehe..." She laughs nervously, scratching her dainty chin.

For a moment, I was stunned... as a shadow of a raven-haired queen overlapped with the assassin's face.

She was trying to hide her own embarassment and frustration behind her usual mask, but like my... former lover, she was unsually terrible at it in front of me, or anyone she's close to. Their similarity in their two differing faces were eerily close, with an aloof, teasing exterior on the outside covering a caring side to their close confidants.

Of course, I wasn't saying I was being delusional over a broken heart. They both had their stark differences, for one. Chelsea was a much gentler soul at heart, compared to Semiramis. I wasn't calling her innocent, but her true personality was straightforward and honest... and to be fair, slightly childish and idealistic. She sincerely wanted to change the world into a better place, and fiercely protective of her friends and their safety.

Semiramis... was a difficult woman to deal with as a stranger. Our first meeting was tied through intrigue and selfish desire for entertainment, not a selfish desire for the Grail. As we spent more time together, a kindred spirit between us drew us closer, blooming into something so beautiful and precious to me. She wished for someone who could comprehend her, and I harbored a small desire to live and be treated as a person, not a Saint. In that sense, we complimented each other well.

If the Grail War finished, I was serious in wanting to be with her, if my magic energy permits, and if not, I was sure we both could figure it out. The memory of her passing me every last bit of her magic energy to ensure my survival pained me immensely, leaving me with a scar I was afraid to admit.

The Queen of Assyria, unequaled in beauty and might under heaven, sacrificed herself for my desire, one of which she didn't share, but did so nonetheless.

If only... if only I had confessed my feelings to her, maybe things might've been different.

The moment Dorothea said humans were cowardly in nature, her words stabbed deep into my heart... because I didn't ask the Greater Grail to _only_ bring me to a world worth saving. I... was running, fleeing from the pain of living in the world where she passed and left me behind. I ran, as simple as that, so I couldn't face the harsh truth.

In this mansion, I, Shirou Amakusa Toshikada, was the most cowardly of them all.

What Saint? What Servant? What 'boy of miracles'? This heart of mine, which didn't waver the slightest during the moment of my execution, bled the instant I despaired over her 'death'.

Yes, I knew the Semiramis I met was a mere copy of her true soul sealed inside the Throne of Heroes. Yes, I knew as a magus and a man of the Church, a death of a mere familiar shouldn't affect me. All that matters was the result, and I achieved it all.

Yet, I felt only emptiness in my success.

Oh, how I miss her…

I felt a tender palm cupping the side of my face, snapping me out of my contemplation. My vision was filled with a rare sight of Chelsea's worrying face, her lips pursed tightly. Really, it wasn't my intention to drift that long, but now I only followed in her footsteps, showing her my weak self. Well, I guessed that's fair, given how crudely I egged the two girls' conversation on.

Her thumb grazed my cheek, drawing a neat line downwards.

'_Eh?'_

What was this gesture? Her face hadn't got better even after I said I was fine, still framed with worry. Why did she do a gesture this intimate?

Feeling something out of the ordinary, I brought my fingers to touch the same part she did earlier.

They're wet.

I... was crying?

It was a lone tear rolling down my cheek which drew Chelsea's concern, as did my own. I had never cried even once in my lifetime, and until now, as unrealistic as it sounded. All sorts of thoughts rushed within my head, voicing doubts about my body's condition, but it was difficult to formulate a clear answer.

"Shirou..."

My mind came to a halt as Chelsea's sweet voice of care washed into my ears. I felt my cheeks heat up in embarassment as I waved my hand around in jest.

"It's nothing, Chelsea. My eye was just irritated."

What a shitty-ass weak lie.

It seemed Chelsea agreed with my opinion, and she enveloped both sides of my head with her hands, pulling my face down to her eye-level.

"Please... stop the bullshit," she softly said. "If it's something personal, then I won't pry too much, but please... If you're hurt, it's fine to let others know sometimes, yeah? Just... just tell me if you want to..."

My eyes peered deep within Chelsea's own light red orbs, and I could tell she was not going to let me weasel my way out of this. Really, sometimes she's just too nice for her own good. I could hypnotize her to avoid this situation, but for reasons I didn't even know, I chose not to.

I wordlessly stepped out onto the balcony, Chelsea following my steps. Moonlight had begun to illuminate the surroundings, taking me off guard regarding how much time Chelsea and Dorothea squabbled earlier. That said, the silver light bathing across the neatly manicured, European-styled garden painted a beautiful image.

Turning around to face her, my Holy Shroud trailed like a bloodied river across the air. I bitterly smiled at Chelsea, saying, "No one has seen me like that. Congratulations."

"Still keeping it up?" Chelsea sighed with exasperation. "Shirou, you've been a beacon of hope for everyone here, and that's even including myself! You don't have to put up a strong front every damn time! I've always..." Chelsea paused, her voice increasingly getting higher and higher, before continuing more sedately, "We all have a mask, and blame me for being a hypocrite about it, but you don't have to bottle everything youself! Let us help you, even just a tiny bit... Nothing good will happen if you, our leader, breaks down in a crucial moment. Isn't that what comrades are for?"

She stepped forward, her hands gripping the sleeve of my shirt. "I say this... because you're far too good in masking it all behind a facade. I was _this_ close in believing it, but we... no, _I_ want to know the real Shirou on an emotional level." Her voice grew meek, saying, "Because... it's unfair how you saw through me... so I thought... it'd be good if... Argh!"

She doubled back, hands clutching her head.

"Damn! Why is this sort of thing so difficult!"

Looking at the frustrated girl, a corner of my lips rose in amusement, my pain slightly lessened.

"No, no, that's fine... I understand," I replied, trying to keep the mirth from bleeding into my voice. Clearly, I failed, since Chelsea shot me an annoyed glare. "Really, honest. Thank you for that..."

I looked up into the night sky, my fist clenched ever-so-tightly.

"It's just... you reminded me of someone dear to me."

Her face wasn't clear to my eyesight, but I could tell Chelsea was listening intently.

"I thought... it wasn't fair, for you to resemble her so much. But you do," I continued. "Like you said earlier, the thing I should fear the most is the lost of my comrades... and I did lose her, even after we've achieved what we fought so hard for. She was... my partner, in a sense."

I shook my head, trying to clear away my dark thoughts.

"It's unfair... Why was I punished like that? Why take her away, instead of me? I don't understand..."

"Am I... bringing you pain?" Chelsea asked tentatively.

"I don't know," I honestly answered. "She was... special... to me. I... Many people had died for me, and the cause I and the others were fighting for. But she... she alone, after she left, I felt true pain..."

I chuckled. "Sorry, showing you something this pathetic. It's just a recurring problem lately, and I learned how to deal with it, so don't you blame yourself."

A loud bang disproved my words, as one of my palm had inadvertently crushed a part of the railing.

Uncaring, Chelsea moved to rest on the railing on my other side.

"This girl you're talking about must have been very special to you," she said. "She... was your lover, wasn't she?"

There's something in her tone I couldn't quite figure out, either to my current mental predicament, or she's revealing another emotion I hadn't witnessed her did yet. Either way, this direct question wasn't something I could remotely lie to, even to myself.

I nodded solemnly.

Suddenly, alarm bells rung inside my skull.

I hurriedly checked Chelsea's condition, and on reflex, halted both her wrists from joining together with her neck artery; a thick, long metal needle clutched inside her fingertips.

"What..." I growled, "are you doing?"

She calmly smiled at me, in that discerningly similar way to how Semiramis did in the past.

"Shirou, will you be happier if I died?"

"Don't talk such nonsense!" I instantly blurted out. "You just said you fear death, right? There's no need for this idiocy!"

I wrestled the needle from between her fingers, and easily snapped it like paper toothpick.

"You're wrong," she bluntly replied. "I said I don't fear death... if someone precious to me can be saved instead."

Now needle-less, her palm caressed my cheek.

"I'm offering my life to you, Shirou," she said, relaxed, with a small smile on her face. Tears started to gather in the corner of her eyes, but her gaze was as resolute as ever.

Slowly, she brought her free hand near the skin of her collarbone.

I knew of this technique. A must-have for assassins, a pressure point must be pressed with sufficient force to destroy one's windpipe, able to be performed bare-handed. As a skill, it's very useful for killing an enemy when one's weapon was confiscated.

My hand shot faster than a bullet, gently wrapping over her forearm and onto her back, pulling her close to prevent her from moving anymore. From the outside, it might've looked like I suddenly pulled her into my embrace, but despite my best wishes, it was more of a life-or-death situation.

"You..." I breathed in her ear, "really are alike, aren't you?"

"Isn't that a bad thing? I thought the resemblance is what was causing you so much distress."

I shook my head, feeling her hair tickling my nose.

"It's just a way of speaking," I argued. "You and her are two completely different people. It's just a moment of remembrance, not me confusing you with her, so stop it!"

Chelsea completely pulled away from my grasp, and gave me a genuine smile, before she reached her arm back and slugged me in the gut. There was enough force behind it to make me take a step back. I could have stopped the punch easily, but I felt like I deserved it so I let it happen.

"Good, because to be honest it's super annoying to hear you talk about how I resemble your past lover! I'm my own person!"

"Very true," my eyes roamed over Chelsea's body, while she gazed at me expectantly. "Semiramis had a much larger bust."

Chelsea blinked once, then twice, and then pinched the ridge of her nose. "I almost like the emotionally weak Shirou better."

"Almost?"

"Just almost," Chelsea shot a wink my way. "I like the fact that I got to see the real you even more."

I crossed my arms around my chest, "I was always the real me, just more emotionally withdrawn."

Chelsea removed her lollipop from her mouth and waved it in front of her. "You keep telling yourself that, Boss Man."

Strangely, she suddenly stopped waving her lollipop around and let her arms droop to the side. With her gaze just now shifted to the moon, she asked me one thing.

"One last question, Shirou. Do you mind if I do something selfish, just to indulge myself a little bit?"

"We humans are selfish by nature, Chelsea," I answered, my calm returned after its earlier forays. "If it motivates you and gives you courage to persist with difficult choices, then I can't say no."

I swear, her grin just became hungrier than ever before.

"Good."

The next moment, Chelsea threw her lollipop off the balcony and approached me with swiftness I didn't even know she possessed.

I felt a soft sensation on my lips for a brief moment before it was gone. Chelsea's hands laid flat against my chest, a small blush on her face, as well as a very satisfied smile on her lips.

"They tasted even better than I expected," she whispered, her breath brushing against my neck softly, before she took a step back.

"Thank you for letting me indulge in my own selfishness, Shirou. I believe that was satisfactory compensation on your part for my assistance during your time of need."

Chelsea made her way back towards the entrance inside the mansion, stopping briefly at the glass door.

"Have a good night, Shirou."

And just like that I was left alone on the balcony, with only my thoughts to accompany me.

* * *

**A/N: A slightly shorter chapter marking the end of this mini arc. Originally I didn't mean to right the events that happened in this chapter but they sort of just appeared as I was typing away. In the end I was very satisfied with the character development I put into this chapter. Chelsea was always more than just a tease in the AGK manga in my opinion and she has hinted that there is more to her than what the manga showed us before her demise. This chapter also allowed me to set up some characterization for Dorothea, and most importantly build on Shirou's character. Fleshing out Shirou's character has been something I felt like I haven't done for some time. Let me know your thoughts in a review or PM. Also a thank you to my beta for doing a great job as always.**

**Also the AGK manga is kind of making nervous with some of their decisions but I'm hoping that they can placate my worries. One last thing. Pokemon GO is very distracting x)**


	18. Chapter 16

"Aniki, what do you think?"

My eyes cooly studied the three girls sparring in the courtyard, I clapped Yoru's shoulder in admiration, smiling in acknowledgement.

"You've been teaching them well, Yoru."

Their names were Luna, Air, and Fal. Because it'd been raining, they're all wearing matching raincoats and boots, good but cheap stuff I smuggled from some army surplus warehouses, with the aid of my contacts. By the way, Yoru wasn't wearing any, while I maintained a layer of magic energy so the rain bounced off an invisible sphere around me.

A blonde tomboy, Fal sported a shoulder-length hair and amber eyes. The mood-maker of the group, her fighting style clearly displayed her temperament. She specialized in kick-based techniques, closer to Yoru's own barehanded Snake style than her comrades. The most powerful of the three, sadly, it was balanced by her having the poorest senses during combat, often charging in like a blind bull to the detriment of anything else.

Luna was a shy and meek girl who liked the color blue, matching her dark navy neck-length hair and light blue eyes. Despite her introverted personality, her sense for tactics was the best among them, positioning herself enough to avoid Fal's strikes while preparing her weapon. She started practicing with the bow, but her technique left something to be desired. Unfortunately, I didn't know anyone who's proficient in using one, having never used one myself... Well, apart from Atalanta, but she's not here. In that case, Luna was mostly self-taught, and her lack of skill was evident in the way she couldn't shake off Fal completely, despite her range advantage.

Air, the pink-haired _de facto_ leader, used twin daggers in close quarters combat. Her role was similar to Fal, but prioritizing speed and skill over strength, she possessed a steadier head in combat compared to her blonde teammate. More assertive than Luna, it's clear why she's the one leading the three of them. Even from here, I could already tell she's leading the other two by the nose, pulling back to allow them to learn, but pressing just enough to make it difficult. Fal was too hot-headed to notice, while Luna was using all her brain power to keep herself from being overwhelmed, so neither of them realized they were being played. A talented girl.

Two months ago, shortly after we 'repossessed' the Shingu, I sent Yoru to the Capital for his routine information gathering. Something was off, though, when he didn't return in his usual habit, which was exactly on the appointed clock. He prided himself in his work and saw being late as a disgrace to himself and to me, so it's quite a rare occasion. I almost went off myself to look for him, thinking he'd gotten himself into trouble with his impulsive behavior, only for Chelsea and Spear persuading me he'd be fine. A comment regarding the troublesomeness of the two females earned me two smacks in the back of the head, so I relented.

The past several weeks had seen the emotional distance between me and Chelsea to shorten considerably, mush to Spear's jealousy. As a matter of fact, the blonde girl's fiery flame was a scary thing indeed, so I was forced to placate her desires myself. That, in turn fanned Chelsea's annoyance, so I spent my time like an idiotic eroge protagonist who looke as if he was going for the 'harem route'.

However, even after all of that, would I say we're in a romantic relationship?

No.

Chelsea knew I was still silently grieving over my past lover, and it wouldn't be fair to either of us. I wasn't even sure if my feelings for Chelsea are anything romantic. I cared for her, and I was well aware of the fact that she did like me. Luckily, Chelsea was satisfied with that one kiss and said she could wait, knowing I already had plenty on my plate.

The last time I was able to act so naturally with someone was back during the Great Holy Grail War... with Semiramis. It was a surprisingly nice feeling.

Tragically, I was right in my assumptions.

By the time I felt his presence pass through the bounded field, I picked up three additional foreign signatures. I glanced at Spear. Knowing what I wanted, she left in Yoru's direction.

A few minutes later, the group returned.

Yoru was battered, with some small tears on his clothing and a few cuts on his skin, but nothing serious. His eyes were dark and gloomy, having seen far worse things that've impacted his body. The three girls following him, though, were in a much worse state. With two of the girls unconscious, Yoru carried one while the remaining girl carried her comrade, though the still-standing girl seemed to be ready to keel over at any moment.

Immediately, seeing it's an emergency situation, I ordered the girls to be carried to the treatment room, the place where I treated the girls (and Yoru) sometimes. I was upset at the apparent ease Yoru exposed our location to save a mere three girls, but knowing his kind spirit, I decided to hear him out first before couphing up any form of punishment.

The girls' story was sickening, if typical for the atrocities commited in the Capital.

As Yoru travelled around that wretched mockery of a capital city, he noticed the three girls walking by themselves, clearly newcomers judged from their awed stare at everything. Going to a supposed apprenticeship, he knew what harm could befall innocent people who came to the Capital for the first time, not to mention three young, cute girls.

Deciding to follow them, his instincts were proven right.

They were supposed to intern for a group called 'The Enthusiasts'. Real pieces of work, if my sources were correct, and even if they're wrong, I would've entered the Capital to end them myself. Fortunately, before anything permanent could be done to physically and mentally disfigure the three girls, Yoru stepped in and killed every single one of them. One of them got their legs broken, another was about to have her eyes gouged out their sockets, and another was at the mercy of a very horny, large, brutal dog.

Fal, the blonde girl with broken legs. Luna, the blue-haired girl, passed out in terror as a spiked spoon swung in onto her eyes. Air was the only one conscious, earning my admiration for staying composed even after almost being raped by a hound.

Even after treating their wounds and offering them a place to stay, they were still cautious of me, with Luna in particular always trembling in fear whenever I got close. It's a good attitude, and fully understandable, but I'd be lying if I felt disrespected for helping them and getting nothing back in return. However, it's clear that I wasn't the right person to help them, so I used someone they would listen to.

Grabbing their saviour by the scruff of his neck, I threw him in the lion's den to be devoured.

A few hours later, after several loud noises and a wimpy plea of help from a male, which I ignored, it was decided they'd reside in a large empty room in the mansion. After everything they've been through, wanting companionship was no strange thing, so I approved.

Talking with them later on ignited their desire to follow my cause, which was to topple the evil residing in the Capital. Whether it's for revenge, or a good-natured sense of justice to prevent another like them tasting the same, I didn't know, and frankly, I didn't care. Three more able bodies meant extra hands I could use, so I put Yoru in charge of them.

The three girls had actually received some form of combat training in the past, unlike Yoru when I picked him up. They worked together the best as a team, but their individual prowess was nothing to be proud of, so I told Yoru to focus on that aspect.

As evident from their spar, their roles in team combat has already been established. Fal was the powerful vanguard, Air as the middle guard to be in an optimal position to supervise everything, and Luna as the rear guard with her ranged weapon. Unfortunately, all Yoru can teach them was the combat sense and tactics he gained from his own experience, since all three of them used different tools and styles compared to him.

"I've seen enough, Yoru. You've done well with the short amount you've been training them. Nice work."

Yoru practically preened at my praise.

It's been several months, close to a year now since I've first taken control of this mansion and took Yoru and everyone else that choose to stay with me under my protective care, yet he still acts like this. Well, I guess it's only natural since he looks up to me so much.

As I watched his charges running towards him, I silently laughed at their attitude and how they lovingly swarmed him. If this was a some sort of game from my old world, Yoru would definitely qualify as the 'dense protagonist', as it'd be obvious the three of them held considerable affections for him that even Tatsumi would notice.

Ever the shy girl, Luna would always quietly blush as she constantly look up at him, the 'dandere' type. Fal was quite rough in her mannerism and the way she expressed her affection, not enough to call her abusive in the typical 'tsundere' manner, but still quite physical. At the very least, she didn't exhibit the usual tendencies to hit him for no reason whatsoever when embarrassed and verbally abuse him, ones I was quite tired of. Air, as the most normal girl of the three, was also very normal in her interactions with him, though still much more reserved than Chelsea or even Spear. I could tell by the sparkle in her eyes, absent during any other moment, whenever he paid attention to her.

Hmm... I might need to give Yoru lessons soon. A maiden's heart is not to be trifled with. I would know, because I used to hold the heart of the Queen of Assyria.

"Aniki!"

Hearing Yoru's voice, I was dragged out of my thoughts concerning him and the small harem he has started to unintentionally form.

"Sorry Yoru, I got distracted. What did you say?" I asked.

Yoru sighed, and his disappointment spread to the three girls. Luna simply looked at me shyly, though it's a much better improvement than our first meeting. Air just rolled her eyes playfully, while Fal grunted and turned her head away. A bit rude, but our relationship was the worst when compared to her comrades, so I didn't mind it too much. As long as she didn't betray me, I wouldn't have to hurt her.

"The girls were curious as to what your thoughts were from their little spar."

Oh. Now, should I be honest, or be patronizing?

Let's do both.

"A lot of improvement out there, especially given the short time you three had to learn. However, I'll be honest," I began, rising the expectations of my audience, "You three still have a long way to go. Now, shall I start with Luna?"

"Y-Yes!" The blue-haired girl squeaked, lightly jumping to the air.

"First of all, I'm not blaming you, so don't be so afraid," I said, patting her lightly on the head. She didn't seem to mind it much, but then, I was expecting her to eschew male-to-female contact for the rest of her life after what she's been through. "Your skills were... average, if I may be so bold. Sadly, I didn't know anyone who could teach you here, so I'm only speaking from experience. The main point which I could boost is your confidence."

At my words, she shifted her eyes to everywhere but my face.

"Your self esteem is low, making you constantly doubt yourself during combat. Trying to meticulously plan out every decision and weighing every risk is fine, but sometimes the speed given by your instincts can be the boundary between life or death. And not just for you, but your teammates as well. Remember this."

The shy young teen nodded at me meekly, but I was pleased to note she looked me in the eyes this time, at the very least.

Satisfied, I turned my attention to the rude tomboy.

"Fal, your problem is pretty much the exact opposite of Luna's. Your style is hyper-aggressive and focuses on rushing down your opponent before they have a chance to respond to your advances. That's perfectly fine, and it suits you. The issue is that you tend to not think enough. You zero in on your target like laser, but pay no attention to your surroundings once you do, leaving you susceptible to ambushes or any sort of tricks your opponents may have. While you were attacking Luna, Air was able to get the drop on you without you noticing. In a real combat situation, that can easily cause your demise."

A begrudging grunt was the girl's response, earning her a jab from both Yoru and Air. She's going to be a rough one, but she'd turn out okay.

Now, for the last girl.

"With Air... the only thing I could say is 'That's exactly what I'd done'. Good job."

"Hey! Why is your tone so different with her?!" Fal protested loudly.

"Because, unlike you and Luna, she actually planned to blow the _both_ of you out of the water, instead of focusing on either one. Isn't that right, Air?"

The girl in question blushed at my inquiry, before happily nodding. She left out what was undoubtedly a mean comment for her teammates forming in her head, though I was the only one who noticed.

"At first glance, she was helping Luna because she felt bad how difficult Fal was pressuring her. However, if you actually went through and beat Luna, Fal, you'd be too preoccupied by winning that Air would be able to get the drop on you. Shame Yoru stopped the match when the three of you were in a stalemate; I would've like to see it to the end."

"Ah... you caught me. It wasn't actually that cold-hearted, Fal-chan, Luna-chan. Sorry," Air said, sticking her tongue out to pretend to be cute, but before she could lower her head, I poked her in the forehead to prevent it.

"Don't apologize," I sternly warned. "Your tactics and judgement were by far the best out there. I, as well as Yoru and everyone else here, will be counting on that in the future. Don't be ashamed of being pragmatic and ruthless."

"...yes, Shirou-san," she quietly agreed, though judging from the way her shoulders moved, there remained a slight cockiness in her ability.

"But, Air, what would you do if Luna decided to shoot you in the back?"

She perked up, opening her mouth to launch an immediate answer, but was left hanging by her brain's inability to cook up an excuse.

"I didn't think of that."

I nodded. "It's imperative for a leader to make backup plans for his or her backup plans. Don't put your eggs all in one basket. That's my advice for you."

"I understand," she replied politely, her air of haughtiness and playfulness gone.

Folding my arms, I declared, "You work together as a group, that much I can tell. However, there's only so much fighting you can do together. You must polish your individual skills even more, instead on relying too much on your comrades. So, some one-on-one training is next."

I clapped Yoru's back, nudging him towards Fal.

"Yoru, take Fal. Yes, the Snake style doesn't use a lot of kicks, but she needs a lot of hand-to-hand CQC techniques to develop on her own. Learn from each other, not just one-way, alright?"

He nodded neutrally, oblivious to the jealous stares from Luna and Air, and Fal's hidden triumphant smile.

"Luna."

"H-hai!" The meek girl replied in turn when I called out her name.

"Originally, to work with your attitude, I wanted to pair you with Chelsea, but she's... well, _Chelsea_."

"Hey!" From a distance, Chelsea yells. "I resent that!"

Ignoring her, I continued explaining to Luna, "As you can imagine, she'll push you a _bit_ too far to the outgoing side, likely breaking your innocent mind."

Luna fearfully and quickly nodded, shifting her body to hide from the assassin's stare.

"Train under Spear. Her weapon will force you to increase your distance and work on your archery skills. Be careful, despite her more... _polite_ personality, her skill is no less than Chelsea."

"Thank you for the guidance..." She meekly replied. Despite her weak answer, her eyes glinted with a fierce desire to improve, likely ignited by Fal's silent boast and my analysis of her weaknesses. As long as she kept this attitude, I believed Spear and her could get along well.

Chelsea's silent footsteps glided towards my location, attracted by the ruckus we're making. Just in time for my introduction to her new student.

"Air, you'll work with Chelsea. Her fighting style is slightly different from your own, but you can learn a lot from her battle experiences," I said, lightly pulling the pink-haired girl's arm closer to Chelsea. "Your weapon-"

"Well! Aren't you a cute one?" Chelsea cut in, interrupting my explanation. "I'm Chelsea, so officially we've met, now! I was a former assassin for the Revolutionary Army, and I've got a good grasp on what to work with you. For example..."

Edging closer, she whispered something to Air's ears, instantly making the younger girl's face blush intensely. It's something my Revelation skills told me not to eavesdrop on, though I already had a good grasp. Air stole several glances towards Yoru, blushing even redder, and clapped Chelsea's hands enthusiastically.

"Please teach me everything you know!"

The air emanating from the two accomplices sent chills down my spine. Maybe my talk with Yoru would need to happen sooner than later… For his sake.

I Clapped my hand to regain the three newcomer's attention. "Now, now, what I expect from the three of you is to be able to work as a cohesive unit under Yoru's instructions after all this training. Work hard."

"""Yes!"""

If there's one way to motivate teenage girls, it's young love.

Satisfied, I started walking back to the manor to catch a break, but a familiar presence triggered my Bounded Field.

'_I wonder what he could want?'_

I left everyone to mingle together and plan for their training menus, sans Spear who's busy inside the manor, I waited for my guest. Lubbock didn't take long to arrive, simply because I intentionally deactivated any security delays remotely from my location. That said, the speed he had to reach my location, given his desire to sneak around and surprise me, didn't shame his reputation as a Night Raid assassin.

"It seems sneaking around in women's bath did you good, Lubbock."

"I should have known you would be the one to greet me. How did you know I was- Hey! How did you know that?!" Lubbock asked, changing his question mid-sentence.

"You seems to be that sort of pervert," I bluntly answered.

"Tch..."

"To answer your first question, did you feel a clinging sensation on your entire body when you crossed this mansion's boundary?" I asked, putting my index finger in the air.

"Ah! A forcefield!"

Neglecting to explain to him the difference between this world's abilities and my world's Magecraft, I nodded. "Something like that. It works on the trespasser's intent. If you hold any malice, you'd get turned away in the first place."

"So... why did I still get uneasy when I came here? I'm not your enemy, Shirou."

"'Neutrals' will get that sensation, while people close to me won't feel a thing. Naturally, since we're not in that kind of relationship, you and Night Raid are categorized as 'neutrals'."

"Oh, that's actually amazing! Cross Tail can be used in a similar manner, but of course a piece of string can't differentiate intent inside people. Great!"

For a while, I expected him to be peeved for outperforming his Teigu in his area of expertise, but he kept nodding his head in admiration, eager to learn more to improve himself. For that, I'd raise his evaluations in my head.

"Is it an urgent matter? I don't think you'd come all this way to chat, given your dislike of me."

"Gu!" He coughed in embarrassment, before saying, "Well I won't say I feel more wary around you, but if we are fighting for the betterment of this country. I can at least _try_ to be cordial. By the way, Boss wanted to talk to you personally, so she's inviting you to come over."

'_Hmm, I can respect his desire for a working relationship.'_

"New intel?"

"Quite important intel, yes. Can you come now?"

Seemed harmless enough. I have to be careful in their base, sure, because it's the concentration of their fighting force. If it came to a fight, they're going to have a home-field advantage, enough to perhaps force me outside their territory. The members I've met, sans Tatsumi, were powerful enough together to possibly do just that.

Ah, I was getting pessimistic again. Centuries of plotting and guarding against other people's plots tend to do that to a person. From my Bounded Field's reaction, Lubbock hadn't had the slightest intention to double-cross me, and I doubt Najenda would keep information away from this boy, they're close. There's nothing wrong in being careful, but being paranoid had more negatives than positives.

"Sure."

"Um, yeah... that's fine, but do you not want to bring anyone else with you?" I was asked in return.

I shook my head. "There's no need for that. Besides, I gave them other tasks to complete. They can handle themselves and I can handle myself. Now, if you would be kind enough to lead the way, we can get going."

"Excuse me? Where do you think you're going, Mr. Saint?"

And... of course there'd be some kind of delay, wouldn't there?

Turning around, I had to look down to stare at a petite alchemist's annoyed face.

Over the past couple of months, her temperament had settled a bit, getting into a rhythm as we worked together. Access to my Workshop had invigorated her, and her enthusiastic research meant I could take some time off and trust her to deliver results, especially with the inflow of Shingus we had. Fortunately, it was enough to suppress any discontent regarding our soul contract, which was binding her into her current position and a pseudo-slave, if I wanted to treat her as such. I wasn't that kind of man, though, so our partnership was going fine, if slightly slower than I wanted due to her having to get acclimatized to my methods and existing progress.

"Yes, Dorothea?"

The little Teigu-induced vampire marched up to me, pissed off for some reason.

"The _exact_ moment I make a possible breakthrough, you're always leaving. Every. Single. Time! And now you're leaving with..." Dorothea took a brief moment, looking up and down Lubbock's existence, ranting on, "...Green-Hair-And-Scraggly to do who-knows-what! You're the one who scouted me and recruited me to do this, so you better come take a look, do you understand?!"

Jeez, given her size, she sure can shout...

Lubbock was miffed at her mild insult, though he didn't act on that, a man like him probably knows better than to be in the way of a scorned woman.

I moved to pacify things, grabbing the small vampire's shoulders gently. She trembled at the close contact, a reaction unexpected to me, given her actual age.

"Dorothea, listen... this is really important to me, alright? It'd mean a lot to me if you could wait until I come back."

Overall, it's a childish way to calm down an irate child. In hindsight, perhaps I should've used a more mature sentence, instead of this one, but it seemed to be effective.

Or not.

The constant tapping of her foot clued me in on the fact that she was annoyed.

"Fine," she answered, "but I expect you to take a look at my findings as soon as you return."

"I promise," I told her with a soft smile on my face.

Scoffing, Dorothea walked away in a 'tsun' manner. If only it reflected her true feelings, which meant she held some affection towards me. Sadly, our relationship right now was completely professional, no strings attached, apart from our general thirst for knowledge.

Gesturing to Lubbock, I said, "Let's hurry before she changes her mind."

"R-Right!"

* * *

Our trip to Night Raid's base was very dull. With nothing to talk about between us, the marathon was ran in relative silence. It was slightly concerning that I'd grown to miss Yoru, Chelsea, and Spear's loud banter whenever we travelled, instead of the silence I was used to, similar to my current situation.

'_God help me... I can't believe I miss those headache-inducing conversations...!'_

My prayer didn't work, as my heart was suitably pleased as we encountered another individual who greeted us with her normal gusto.

"Good to see you here back in one piece, Lubbock! Not shitting yourself? Sorry, I know how much you hate dealing with our esteemed guest..." Leone cheerfully slapped Lubbock's back hard, his face contorting not in pain, but in annoyance at the sarcasm.

She linked her arm with mine and dragged me back further into the compound, her sizeable and incredibly, _incredibly_ soft breasts molding themselves around my arm. I didn't miss Lubbock's jealous stare, but I pretended not to notice.

"Come on in! You're just in time; Akame has finished cooking, so I hope you love your protein!"

"She's cooking?" I asked, surprised at her statement.

Snickering, she answered cheekily, "Mainly to sneak food when no one's looking, but it's surprisingly tasty... Or what's left of it, anyway."

I chuckled, imagining the stoic and slim assassin in an apron, before getting more serious. "What does Najenda have to say?"

"Ask her yourself."

The scene which greeted me was familiar in itself. Najenda was still sitting in her makeshift throne, although I began to think it's a bit gaudy for an assassin's' hideout. The remaining members of Night Raid surrounded her, though with a couple of new faces as well.

The first was a well-built adult male leaning on a wall to the side, distancing himself from the group while keeping them in his sight, like a bodyguard. He was garbed in a white robe, but his dark blue hair and pair of horns on his head loudly declared to me his inhumanity. From his energy, I assumed he was a similar being to the biological Teigu which killed Sheele some time ago, but far, far more powerful. It was dense and concentrated, even while noticeably holding back his strength. In terms of power level, he's easily second in the room after myself, even stronger than Bulat.

The other member was female, and not as impressive as the other females I've met in my life, not to say compared to the relative freaks in Night Raid. Her age seemed similar to Spear's, with light blue hair cropped short, reaching the nape of her neck, while the rest neatly framed her face. Her purple eyes danced around my figure, the same manner I was evaluating her right now, and her upper body was clad in a loose blue spaghetti-strap blouse that stopped at her midriff and ink-black form-fitting pants. Her gestures indicated a relative lack of experience, even less than Tatsumi. A new recruit, then.

Stiffly, Naenda spread her arms in an awkward attempt at a welcoming gesture.

"Welcome, Shirou. Glad to see you still in good health after these past months."

Well, if she made the effort to look amicable, I might as well indulge in her good will. It's not often someone of her stature reflected on their manners, so I was reasonably pleased.

"And I as well. The losses of your members were tough, both on you and me, so this new addition is a welcome bit of good news," I replied, far more smoothly in formalities than her. If this was a start of a patching-together, then I'd take it over squabbling over minor details like last time.

"Thank you for your concern," she said sincerely. "Bulat and Sheele's passing still hit us deep within our hearts, but I hope we can carry on their wishes to bring an era of peace. Now, let me introduce our newest members." She lifted a palm at the horned man's direction, saying, "This is Susanoo. A biological Teigu, he's coded to me and serves as my new bodyguard. A surprise, really, since I went back to HQ to get some new weapons and bodies, and I got both!"

He didn't seem to pleased with my inquisitive glance, shooting me a constant stern glare, so much so Leone went over to him and cuffed him lightly on the shoulder to reprimand him. I wasn't sure what I did to garner such hostilities, but he immediately realized his rudeness and went back to a more neutral behavior.

It seems Najenda noticed the tension between the two of us as well, because she stood up from her seated position and walked behind him, forcing his neck to bow in my direction. "Apologies for his rude behavior. Susanoo's usually a very mellow and kind individual."

Waving my hand, I quickly responded, "No need for such a forced apology, Najenda. I don't mind. He's just doing his job. Besides, I'm used to it."

"Thank you for your tolerance," she gruffly said, releasing her grip on Susanoo's head. He wasn't irked at all, or he hid his annoyance well.

"Then, this is Mizuko, our second new member," the white-haired woman introduced. "She's been excited to meet you."

"Hey, Just like the boss said, the name is Mizuko. Nice to meet you!"

Well, she's definitely cheerful. I wonder, though, what did she want with me? I knew I had quite a reputation, but certainly not enough that a new recruit would be so excited. If anything I expected caution.

"The pleasure is mine, Mizuko. You may know this already, but I'm Shirou Kotomine." I extended my hand for a handshake, which she latched onto like a snake, with a surprisingly firm grip. "But... 'water child', huh? It's a beautiful name."

She blushed at my praise, "Thank you! Most people don't know it... well, except from Tatsumi, because we're from the same area, but you sure know a lot!" he excitedly chattered

The boy in question scratched the back of his head, muttering, "Yeah... good for you... because my name is embarrassing..."

"Cheer up, 'Pure'!"

"Shut it!"

Her name suited her well, because Black Marlin nestled comfortably on her middle finger. Did it like users with water-themed names? How curious... I had to research the Teigus and Shingus tendencies even more, then.

"Why did you join Night Raid, Mizuko? Surely, a newcomer like you would be better suited for support tasks rather than the front line?"

My question was answered by hundreds and hundreds of needles of water surrounding me. Small and thin, only an inch long and a millimeter wide, but the speed of their construction and their numbers would turn many magi green with envy. Compared to Liver, who needed relatively large bodies of water to perform his tricks, she used only the moisture in the air. Impressive, she couldn't have had possession of the Teigu for very long and she already appears to have taken great strides with it.

Alright, alright, I was mistaken in my earlier evaluation: this girl was no greenhorn.

I let loose a small burst of magical energy, dissipating the needles back into vapor, surprising the girl.

Najenda almost had an aneurysm at the fact her new member just tried to assault me, but I held a palm to stop her yelling, cluing her that I let her do that as a mere game.

"Ahahaha! You're really Chelsea-senpai's type, no wonder she's enamored with you." Mizuko's eyes roamed over me once more, "Good looking too."

'_Chelsea Senpai?'_

I only gave her some mirth. "Did you two communicate often?"

"For those in our profession, relatively, yeah! I might steal you from her, though..." I couldn't tell if the look on her face was teasing or predatory. I could live without ever knowing I decided.

Well, now I had something to grill Chelsea over. Unauthorized communication, even for a dedicated professional as the lollipop-eating assassin, was a major security flaw. The two of them must have been relatively close for her to not say anything. She should know I would've let her do what she wanted as long as she was honest with me. Seriously, that girl...

Leone drilled her fist into the back of Mizuko's head, her eyes raging with fury.

"What the fuck was that, Mizuko?! He's a guest, so use some frickin common sense will you!" She kept her fist in contact with the water user's head, grinding her knuckles deeper and deeper despite Mizuko's pained protests. "I don't care that you're new; don't you ever do that, or I'll tear you a new one! Understand!"

"Y-Yes! Ow-ow-ow-ow! I understand! Tap out, tap out!"

Mizuko knelt on the ground, groaning with the crown of her head smoking comically, "I was just checking, Leo-nee. I won't let any weak, worthless man near Chelsea-senpai! Give me a break!"

Not giving into her whining, Leone cracked her knuckles. "Oh... I'll give you a 'break', Mizuko... keep talking!"

The blue-haired girl gulped in fear.

"That lollipop-sucking vixen can handle herself. Shirou shouldn't have to protect her, you idiot! She's the one who made the decision to be his tool, not the other way around."

"Uuu... You're only talking like this because you're jealous of Chelsea-senpai anyway, Leo-nee! Hypocrite! Hypocrite, I say!" She wailed on, shocking Leone.

"What the fuck did you just saaayyyy?!"

\- BANG! BANG!

""Ow!""

"Enough, you two!" Najenda shouted, her metal arm smoking from the consecutive hits landed on the two bickering girls. "Behave yourself! Jeez, you're like two bitches in heat! Fall in line!"

Begrudgingly, the two calmed down. Mizuko muttered in a low voice, "I can definitely see why Chelsea-senpai would find him so interesting," while Leone was blushing, looking meekly embarrassed, mumbling, "I have no reason to be jealous..."

I pretended not to hear either of them.

* * *

Moving to a different room, one we all could actually sit down instead of stand around, trying to look cool, I slowly sipped the hot tea served by Akame. It's delicious, by the way, and she cutely smiled when I complimented her, so my perception of her was, again, revised. She looked great in an apron as well, but the image of her ravenously devouring the mountain of meat like no tomorrow as well as the fact I had no need for the attention of more women quelled any thoughts of interest.

I exhaled, trying to process the story I was just told.

"So... Esdeath is in love with Tatsumi. _That_ Esdeath?"

"Uuu... don't talk about it anymore..." Tatsumi groaned, holding his head in his arms.

I coughed. "So, you're into the collar play, huh, Tatsumi? Never would've guessed, but it suits your personality. How's her training?"

"S-S-Shut up!"

Alright, maybe I teased him a bit too much. I couldn't blame him for his aversion for Esdeath's 'care', for I was sure I myself would've felt the same thing. What surprised me most of all was the revelation of the ice woman's capability to actually _love_ someone. During my fight with her, I thought she was the typical bloodthirsty psychopath who revelled in war and murder... Well, she _was_ that, but as I said, I had never thought of her as someone who could feel a romantic attraction to another individual.

Besides my shock, his abduction and escape had provided us with many crucial details, especially on Esdeath's new special ops unit, the Jaegers. Numbering nine people in total, their description was... _interesting_, to say the least. I was definitely interested with several of them.

The man Run sounded to be Esdeath's second-in-command for the Jaegers for virtue of his logical thinking and gentle nature. From what Tatsumi said, he didn't seem to be an inherently bad or misguided person, confusing us of his motive for joining the Jaegers, and the Empire. Wave was a young man and Tatsumi's counterpart in likeness; they even shared the same type of Teigu: Grand Chariot, Incursio's successor. The third important target was Kurome, Akame's younger sister. My gaze settled on to the red eyed assassin as we discussed about her sister. Why did Akame leave the Empire but Kurome stayed behind? Their had to be some reason or explanation.

"I just have one last thing I wish to ask. Are you positive you weren't followed?"

Leone blinked once, then twice, then started laughing. "Oh, Shirou, please! We might not be as individually powerful as you, but you don't have to look down on us that much. Most of us have been at this for a very long time."

I shook my head at Leone's carefree reply.

"One of those in my employment was familiar with one of the Jaegers you mentioned, going by the name of Dr. Stylish. I heard he was particularly adept with human experimentation, especially in the department of increase a human's raw ability. So, because you said he was suspicious of you, Tatsumi," I gaze straight at the boy, "did you make _absolutely_ sure all your tracks were well-covered?"

"No."

All eyes turned to Akame.

"When I found Tatsumi, my main concern was getting him back home. I did not cover my tracks as well as I should have," Akame confessed, her head hung low in shame. "If what Shirou said is true, then Dr. Stylish may be able to find us."

Everyone in the room sat in silence for a couple of moments, pondering their own thoughts.

Tatsumi raised a lone hand up. "Okay... let's think about this for a second. Would it be best if-"

Lubbock and I both interjected.

"GET DOWN!"

Lubbock pushed Tatsumi's head down, before a dagger pierced the spot it previously occupied. I instantly materialized several Black Keys after my eyes detected a glimmer of light at the far-right corner of the room, deflecting the oncoming projectiles. I was about to counterattack, but it seemed it wasn't necessary.

Our entire right side was covered by a thin membrane of water, conjured by Mizuko from a cup of water in her hands, stopping further onslaught. As the daggers collapsed into the floor, the shield turned into a sharp water whip, lashing out at the assault's point of origin. A male's voice sadistically giggled as he dodged the attack, but his movements were cut short, quite literally, by Lubbock's Cross Tail, dismembering him into several pieces.

Looking out the window, my sight was greeted by a small army of strangely-shaped humanoids.

Chuckling, I couldn't help but get one last line in.

"I think it's safe to say you've been compromised, no?"

* * *

**A/N: So um, it's been a long time *dodges thrown tomatoes* if I'm to be honest I was losing some of my drive for writing this so it was getting hard to write anything related to this. I know what I wanted to do but not exactly how to get there, so I took a break. Once I was able to be satisfied with my writing again organic chemistry decided it wanted to absorb all my free time, but we're here now. Mizuko is an OC as you can tell with Chelsea being swayed over onto Shirou's side I needed a way to keep Night Raid up to snuff on the power scale. Also some of you may have noticed when the chapter mentioned nine Jaegers. Well Esdeath's defeat at the hands of Shirou caused her to get some more subordinates than in canon. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you liked, or disliked in the review section or as PM's I'll try to answer any questions that you may have. And of course a thank you to my beta ekaterina016 for being so patient with me.**


	19. Chapter 17

"I'm sorry," Akame regretfully said, bowing deeply enough her long, lustrous black hair swept the floor. "This is all due to my negligence in covering our tracks once I recovered Tatsumi. I will take any punishment you deem necessary for my failure."

"That's not what's important at the moment, Akame!" Najenda told her subordinate, before thrusting her mechanical arm forward. "Night Raid! We have been discovered by the enemy, so let's show them why we are to be feared by the Empire! Make sure to travel in pairs, and watch each other's backs! Eliminate all hostiles!"

"""Understood!"""

Her subordinates split into two groups, one jumping straight out of the broken window, while Lubbock and Akame opted to clean up any infiltrators inside the building while protecting Najenda as well. Considering the Teigu of the other members, these two's were far more suited to the tight and twisted confines of a hidden assassins base, with Cross Tail's versatility to create traps and Murasame's powerful short-range ability.

I found myself admiring Najenda's calm and quick judgement and Night Raid's speed in taking the initiative to counterattack. Her past as a former general showed through the aura of confidence she radiated around her, even under duress this extreme. She's certainly confident of her group's ability, even with the relatively newer members.

With that in mind, I decided on my own course of action.

I placed one foot on the window sill, surveying the battles happening all over the place.

To my delight and surprise, the group's fighting ability had noticeably improved since the last time I saw them, especially Tatsumi. With Incursio, passed down from Bulat, he's tearing through the revolting mass of mindless bodies like a cannonball through wet paper, their attacks incapable of harming him in the slightest. According to my last information, his maximum usage of Incursion was only several seconds, with one usage severely drained his stamina, not even counting his mediocre blade skills. Now, he's a literal demon on the battlefield, focusing on attacking the enemies' weak point with one powerful strike while enduring their counterattack with his armor's properties.

Usually, I'd frown at such brute tactics, but, hey, it worked for him. As long as it didn't become a bad habit, then it's fine. Mine was also covering him well, her experience helping her in covering Tatsumi's blind spots.

Leone was fighting with a beautiful combination of grace and wild savagery, majestic like the animal her Teigu was based on. Her strikes were fast, precise, powerful, and flexible, dominating the masses surrounding her. I saw her perform a spinning hook kick behind her without looking, removing a mook's head clean off, showcasing her already keen Instincts even more enhanced. My sources stated Lionelle to be able to only increase the user's physical abilities, not their skills, so the elastically breathtaking way her voluptuous body bends and curves around came all from her, not the Teigu.

Ah, she's getting distracted, and distracting me as well. Some poor soul thought he could get the jump on her with his sword, but she dodged it at the last second and caught the piece of steel with her teeth, shattering it. With a rough hit, he became another bloodstain on the ground.

Susanoo... was different, in a way caused by my Japanese influence. Named after a Japanese god of thunder, I expected his abilities to revolve around the same skillset as his namesake, but the reality was both different and suiting at the same time. He's fast, to say the least, but not enough to liken him to 'lightning' or on par with a Lancer-class Servant, though that's not saying much when only Leone could keep up with him in pure speed, possibly Akame as well among the Night Raid members. If he was scaled using my world's system, his Agility would've been only C+-rank at best.

His strength was more impressive. Wielding a large bladed club with such dexterity and lethality deserved praise, and a swing of it was enough to outright dismember or pulverize any enemies standing in its way. There were already several sizeable craters on the ground as collateral damage from his swings. With his... _dislike_ of me, that strength which could rival my own was something I had to be wary of.

My curiosity, though, was focused on the last member of Night Raid currently out in the fray.

I'd always wondered what's the limit for Teigus, especially in combat. In general, they could be divided into two main groups: mechanical and elemental. The former was the most common, while the latter possessed greater potential and variability in its usage, as with Esdeath and Liver. The difficulty in using both types vary among Teigus, but generally, elemental-type Teigus require greater training and thought invested into them to make them work.

What differentiated Mizuko from her predecessor, Liver, in her Teigu's usage was clearly her relative inexperience. Elemental users tended to rely too much on their medium- and long-range ability that they neglected to position their own body compared to melee users, and Mizuko showed traits of this bad habit. It wasn't excessive and could be fixed with practice, but it was still present. However, what she lacked in strategy, she made up in pure creativity and reflexes.

The inherent moisture from the atmosphere was molded into a vast array of weapons I barely recognized even with my considerable experience. Constantly changing its shape, size, hardness, and speed, it shifted effortlessly to handle every situation which fit it best.

Short-range: daggers, water shield, and water limbs. Medium-range: swords, claymores, and whips. Long-range: discs, water needles, water cannon. Support: thick mist and hypothermic frost. She controlled the battlefield with an alarmingly diverse array of abilities, all of which Liver failed to maximize. Her speed and flexibility mid-combat brought a certain Archer-class Servant into mind. The Chaste Huntress was always a sight to behold on the battlefield.

What really showed her talent was her incredible efficiency in using the existing water molecules in the air and from the plants around her. Liver was strong, but he needed a considerable amount of water to be carried on his person, and even then, he couldn't make use of the snow surrounding us when we fought. Plus, according to Tatsumi's stories regarding his and Bulat's battle, even on a ship surrounded by the ocean itself, Bulat defeated him with Incursio and would have lived if not for the poison affecting the large man.

Then it hit me.

Elemental-type Teigus depended heavily on their users' drive and creativity. Liver, a seasoned general, had too many constraints and limitations experienced in life, which reflected on his conservative fighting style. Mizuko, on the other hand, was young and _very_ outgoing. Her young mind was a treasure trove of outlandish ideas, which sent shivers down my spine when I realized what Esdeath could've done with Mizuko's ability to break the conventional rules.

Let's hope the ice user wasn't too creative...

"Are you not going to join in on the action?"

I turned my head, facing Najenda with a casual glance.

"No, not yet. I wanted to watch them a while longer, at least," I said, shaking my head. "Your group is astonishing and fascinating in its growth, especially Tatsumi."

Walking up beside me, she solemnly replied, "The loss of Sheele and Bulat hit him the hardest, even though he's our little newbie. He slaved himself to training, and the results are as you see."

"**Give it back!"**

The shrill voice was familiar, not the least caused by Mine's violent antics in my mansion after the fight with Seryu.

'_Huh... it seems Stylish has developed something else than mere grunts.'_

Extase, Sheele's beloved Teigu, was being swung around by some brute against Tatsumi. Mine had already abandoned her sniping post, opting to charge forward in blind anger. It's a stupid decision, but it's not like I didn't understand her feelings. In Japan, a deceased's belongings were considered very precious and a part of the deceased themselves, and seeing it in the hands of an enemy would've riled anger in anyone, even me. In fact, I'd be disappointed if Mine and Tatsumi weren't more... motivated in dealing with Stylish's army now.

As Tatsumi tried to engage in close range, he was forced to dodge as Extase easily cut through his supposedly impenetrable armor like it was butter. Luckily, it wasn't debilitating, his own reflexes saving him from losing a limb. I knew Incursio was strong, but Extase's supreme cutting ability surprised me in this matchup. It's only unfortunate the cost of this information was the wound on Tatsumi.

"Are you not going to assist your subordinates? It seems Extase is a bad matchup for Incursio," I inquired.

A soft chuckle escaped Najenda's lips. "I would, if Mine wasn't with him. There's no way she's going to let someone use Sheele's Teigu like that. Just watch her."

So I did. I didn't know what to expect, to be honest. Mine was a skilled sniper, but now, in the close-range combat which was her weakness, and having to cover the slightly injured Tatsumi, it'd be interesting how she'd cope with the challenge. My eyes glanced over Najenda's confident stare, one which screamed 'hang-on-you-got-to-watch-this', so I stayed put.

The spectacle fallen before my eyes almost made my mouth gape open.

As the man moved in closer, clearly confident in decimating the petite pink-haired sniper in close combat, Mine simply... made him _evaporate_. Well, alright, it was actually an understatement. The blast she fired from Pumpkin not only disintegrated his body, but also the scenery behind him, leaving a neat burnt trench of former plants and rocks turned into ashes.

Comparing its power to the Magecraft from my original world, it simply wasn't a contest. Granted, modern Magecraft was a shadow of its former glory, and a poor imitation of what I could do with my Noble Phantasm, but it took nothing away from Pumpkin's immense power. That could've at least matched the output of a C-ranked Noble Phantasm! Nothing outrageous for a Servant, but a clean shot would've crippled anyone unprepared, including me. I suspected, to my horror, that Mine's not even using its maximum output. Just how strong could Pumpkin get?

"It's good to see that even someone like you can be surprised."

How annoying. This verbal jab was also a measure of my own self from Najenda.

"I'm not so prideful as to reject my shortcomings in my predictions," I admitted, smiling wryly. "Despite their quirks, your newest members are very impressive. Shame I still haven't seen everything the veterans are fully capable of."

I watched Mine clutching onto Extase on her knees, tears running down her face as Tatsumi gently held her shoulders, comforting her. Ah, was he making a move this early? Kids these days were very sly...

With a proud look on her face, she declared, "You never will. Every single one of them, newbie or not, are constantly growing and growing. Trust me, the moment you believe you've seen all their tricks, they'll learn something new just to prove you wrong."

She brings up a good point.

"Indeed, it's foolish of me to have momentarily forgotten about the never ending potential ingrained within humanity. Humans are the embodiment of unstoppable growth. If there is something they desire, even if it seems out of their reach, they will find a way to grasp it. Whether it is a way to provide a stable source of food, or create the means to cure diseases that were previously thought of as death incarnate... Humans are the one race that can possibly surpass even the Gods themselves..." I gazed at the sky resolutely in the declaring of my own perceptions. "...and that is why I will be their salvation."

My words held a promise to them, something Najenda looked she wanted to ask about. Because it'd be annoying, I didn't give her that chance to try and interrogate the meaning behind my words, and I jumped out of one of the broken windows, intent on getting my own fix of the action.

I've never been one to be overly patient while others are fighting fights which garner my interest. Not even back during the Great Holy Grail War I hid within the safety of The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. When Archer and Rider were fighting the forces of the Black Faction, I myself decided to take on Berserker of Black. When Vlad the Impaler was forced to embrace his vampiric nature by his fool of a Master, it was I that stared down and conquered the Legend of Dracula incarnated. If I was able to evade answering some unnecessary questions in the process, then that's just a bonus.

Black Keys emerged in my hands and flew forth in the very next instant, skewering three members of Stylish's army as they tried to approach me.

A hulking lug believed he could crush me for the fact he's practically double my size. How foolish. I nearly laughed out loud in a similar manner to Esdeath, and I might've let out _just_ a bit of a chuckle as I sent his body buckling and flying into some of his comrades with a swift punch to his solar plexus.

"Damn! How does such a slim man like you hit something that hard?" A voice called out.

"Why don't you say that to him?" I asked Mizuko back, with a thumb jerked towards Susanoo who's pulverizing his opponents. "I don't want to hear that from you, either."

Mizuko lopped off the legs of a stray mook with her water whip as she placed a lone finger on the tip of her chin in an attempt to look cute, a physical tic eerily similar to Chelsea.

"Well, Su-san is more well-built than you, at the very least, and he's a Teigu, for crying out loud! He can crush my head with one palm, so it's much easier to believe." She then gleaned at me, saying, "You, well... you're human like us, so it's surreal watching you doing something like that."

"You should tell that to General Esdeath as well."

My sarcastic reply was returned by a cheeky tongue-out.

The casual way she called me 'human' caused me to pause in my dismemberment of those around me. I haven't had the luxury of seeing myself as human for a very long time. My youth was spent being regarded as a holy saint, someone detached from humanity. Even now, with this human body, I was still the Heroic Spirit Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.

I placed a hand on her head, her blue locks weaving themselves between my fingers as my hand gently glided over them.

"How naive of you. Would your senpai fall for any normal human?" I teased Mizuko with a knowing smile.

Her face morphed from a look of understanding to a feral grin.

"Definitely not."

A stream of highly pressurized water shot forth and bisected some poor sap.

"Show me what made Chelsea-senpai so enamored with you that she even left her poor kōhai all alone."

"Don't pout when I leave you in the dust."

I put some magic energy into my legs, shooting me forth like a rocket. Mizuko, to her credit, did her best in trying to keep up, but she lacked the leg strength to match my bursts in speed. I prided myself as a man of my word, after all.

Being separated like this in a fight against a sea of bodies was becoming a bad idea, so I aimed to regroup with Leone. My Black Keys snaked out, skewering and slicing the flesh of the fools who're in my way. This high-speed movement charge didn't suit Mizuko's fighting style, so I was trying to clear a safe path for her until we regroup. Hopefully, the rest of them would get the gist and followed my lead.

'_There!'_

Leone entered my field of vision, her feet crushing the skull of one of the many opponents around her. Six blades left my hands and found themselves impaled in the skulls of six soldiers. Despite the Black Keys' usefulness as a close- and mid-range weapon, I couldn't help but miss the Noble Phantasm that Shakespeare enchanted for me; Miike Tenta Mitsuyo was a spectacular blade. Although it had no special ability attached to it, the history within the blade itself allowed it to become a C+ rank Noble Phantasm and could clash against the likes of Berserker of Black without me having to worry about it shattering. Dorothea did say she made a breakthrough, so hopefully I'd be able to wield an equally impressive blade in the near future.

Focusing back on the matters at hand, my hand extended forth and crushed the windpipe of a soldier to the left of Leone. I expected the buxom blonde to make some sort of quip about my appearance, but it seems as if she was quite focussed on the battle at hand. Having her home invaded was definitely a reason for her to be serious, and the feral grin on her face drove that point home.

Susanoo and sent a stern glance my way, but once he noticed that Leone and I were fighting together and Mizuko was approaching us as well, the Biological Teigu decided to join up with us as well.

With the four of us banded together, it didn't take long at all for there to be a litter of corpses around our feet.

"Shit, you four did a number on everyone here! It's good to see you fighting with us this time, Shirou!" A relieved voice called out.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Tatsumi approaching us, with Mine, Lubbock, and Akame right behind him. If the latter two were here, then the inside of the base must be secure.

"Well, I must admit, it's nice to fight with you all this time. We share the same goal, after all, so I hope we'd conduct this team effort more often," I replied, smiling. "I was impressed how much you all have grown since the last time we met, especially you, boy."

Their growth speed, other than impressing me, alerted me on how much I was lacking in my own group. We're smaller in numbers, and in a one-on-one fight, equipped with each other's preferred weapons, my group was at a disadvantage. I wasn't saying I lacked confidence in my team's strength, but unless I enchanted Yoru's body, he'd never put a scratch on an Incursio-clad Tatsumi, even if my foster brother's skill was a thin layer above.

In terms of pure spearmanship, Tatsumi's ability to use Incursio's inherent weapon was also still below Spear's, but that's exactly the point: if they clashed, Spear's spear would've snapped in one blow. Chelsea couldn't be counted on as a frontline fighter, since she's more suited to cloak-and-dagger-type operations. In actual assassinations, it's said the only one who could match her record was Akame.

This thought resolved me to push my group's level to many, many levels above, starting with their equipment.

My eyes inevitably shifted to Pumpkin, the image of its overpowering blasts still clear in my mind. Just how strong could it be? Or, more precisely, just how strong _Mine_ could be?

Noticing my stare, the petite girl grinned knowingly. "Oh? Impressed, are we?"

Not catching her bait, I flatly admitted, "Yes. To be frank, the last time I saw a similar power output was back where I was from, although those weapons are mostly gone, now."

Mine's smile widened even further. "Well, of course! I'm the one wield-"

Her words were cut off as she fell flat on her face, my eyes widened at the pink-haired girl's sudden collapse. Her fall was soon followed by Leone, Lubbock, Mizuko, and finally even Akame was brought to her knees.

'_What's going on?'_

Only Tatsumi, Susanoo, and I were left able to stand. I took a quick glance to my left arm and noticed the markings on it were glowing faintly through the sleeve of my garb. If **Foundation of Heaven's Blessing** had taken effect, then it's combatting some sort of ailment. An airborne toxin? That would explain the sudden collapse of the majority of Night Raid besides Tatsumi and Susanoo. Incursio was filtering out the toxins from invading Tatsumi's lungs and Susanoo is a Teigu, thus it probably just had no negative impact on him.

A sudden sense of foreboding shook my body. I was being warned of something, not anything that could permanently harm me, but…

My eyes lingered on the downed members of Night Raid. They're the ones in danger. I placed both hands onto the ground and sent out a pulse of magical energy, using the very same trick I did to locate the Shingus in the mountains. I scanned everything within a couple kilometers in an instant, and what I discovered did not make my mood any better.

"Susanoo, Tatsumi, the bodies of these soldiers have bombs implanted within them! Help me get these corpses away from us!" I yelled.

Despite the full-body armor covering him, the way he tensed up gave away his shock. Susanoo was significantly calmer and acted immediately, swinging his club around, blowing bodies away in a gust of wind. I planted my feet firmly in the ground, and with a swift punch, sent a mass of flesh away from us. Tatsumi started moving his teammates behind Susanoo and I.

We're out of time. This will have to do.

My arms shot out to the sides of my body.

"**Sciath!"**

A small distortion in the air appeared around us in the form of a bubble, surrounding us in an almost-transparent film. Just in time too, because the next instant, every dead body around us exploded in a blaze of glory, swathing the hasty barrier I erected in a blanket of flames. The danger passed as fast as it first emerged, and I dropped the barrier formed from my magic energy. I was nervous that I might not have been able to make it strong enough in time to protect everyone. God has truly blessed me with the possession of the Skeleton Key, making my average skill in Magecraft to reach a higher level. Without it, the three of us and the ones immobilized at the back would've been decimated by the blast.

"Is everyone alright?"

I was answered with a couple coughs, but it seemed everyone got out unscathed. That's good.

"Shirou, how did you do that?" A voice I believed to be Leone's asked me.

Lubbock inquired to himself, "Did you create this like the field around your home?"

His question was closer to the truth than I would've liked, even if it's not completely right. He had a bright head, Lubbock, a better one than I thought.

"That's not important right now." I said, my right index finger pointing off into the distance.

When I scanned our surrounding area earlier, I sensed four more individuals farther back on the cliff face, overlooking the base-turned-battleground.

"Our enemy is on that cliff."

My reinforced eyesight spotted what I could only describe as a skinny man in a lab coat with quite the flamboyant haircut. Beside him were three individuals with distinctive figures. One was a man with a disgustingly large nose, another man with eyes that were literally bulging out of their sockets, and a girl with ears reminiscent to those of a bat, just more pointed and much larger.

'_Products of human experimentation, just like the rest of his army.'_

Absolutely disgusting. Stylish's death will bring me more pleasure than it should.

Oh? Looks like those overly large features aren't just for show. The girl with the large ears was saying something to Stylish, and the man with bulbous eyes looked as if he was going to piss himself as he looked at me. My lips morphed into a savage grin as I made eye contact him. He did not look happy to be on the receiving end of my attention.

"Those of us that can still move, follow me. I'll lead us to that madman. He's going to try and escape, now that his assault has failed. The rest of you can catch up when you're feeling better. We should be done long before then."

Tatsumi nodded his head in acknowledgement, while Susanoo continued to give me a stern stare.

The three of us set off immediately. Susanoo was, unsurprisingly, able to keep up with my speed. I was still faster, but the Teigu was no pushover. Tatsumi was beginning to lag behind, Incursio must have bolstered all of his physical capabilities, because I had no expectations for the village-warrior-turned-assassin to keep up with us.

As we continued to encroach on the doctor's whereabouts, he was falling farther and farther behind. It appeared that the boost to one's parameters was dependant on the already existing physical capabilities of the user. I'd slow down a little to let him catch up, but we were about to get the drop on Stylish, and I would rather not let the psycho prepare something for us in the meantime.

A rumble passed through the forest floor, and about twenty meters through the thicket of greenery, I bore witness to one of the most grotesque monstrosities I've ever seen. Watching Berserker or Red's body knit itself together into larger masses of muscle was quite the sight, but this still takes the cake with just how unnatural it was.

A giant mass of moving flesh.

Random mechanical contraptions mixed with more flesh created its right arm and piping was interwoven and connected on its back. The thing was standing leagues above the trees; this monstrosity was almost half the size of the mountain that Night Raid's base was situated on. On top of it all, partially embedded inside the head of the abomination was Stylish himself.

No time to delay. My legs pushed forward with all the strength they could muster. Craters erupted from where I was previously and Susanoo was left far behind me.

I could hear the mad scientist raving now, ludicrously yelling about how he needed 'more nutrients'. A quick scan of the surrounding area showed that the man with bulging eyes and elongated nose were no longer present, and one of the giant's arms were moving to grab the girl with the large ears.

'_So that's what he meant by nutrients... Better not let him have any more!'_

My body crashed into the monster's outstretched arm like a rocket.

My right fist connected with its right arm, blowing it back from reaching the bat-eared girl. The shockwave of the hit was enough to send her reeling back, farther away from my battle with Stylish. I didn't particularly care about her well-being earlier since she's an enemy, but the fear in her eyes roused an emotion of pity from my heart, and so I was relieved at her temporary safety

"You! How dare you get in the way of my evolution! I will consume you as well!" The mad doctor yelled into the night sky.

This man was truly revolting. If his mind wasn't so useful, I would eradicate him this very moment, even if it would give away one of my stronger attacks.

However...

My right arm pulsed with mana. There were still things I need from that brain of his.

Susanoo chose that very moment to burst out of the treeline, the delay caused by my sudden speed burst. Rather than being annoyed at the interruption, I was glad he's here to increase my chances of subduing the mad doctor alive and extract the information I needed.

"Stay where you are." I told the girl behind me. She vigorously nodded like a frightened mouse, her legs stiff as concrete due to her shock and fear.

"I know you dislike me for some odd reason, but what do you say about taking down this disgrace of a human being together?" I asked the Biological Teigu.

"Understood."

Good enough of an answer, if you ask me.

"That troublesome Teigu is also here..." Stylish let out an annoying sigh. "No matter, when I consume the two of you, I should have even more power than Esdeath herself!"

Now _that_ made me chuckle.

"What a delusional soul, if you're not already stronger than Esdeath, then you have no chance against me."

"I know who you are, Shirou Kotomine! The General has informed all the Jaegers about you, but unlike her, I won't underestimate you for the sake of my hunger for battle. Your appearance here tonight was unaccounted for in my preparations, but it will make no difference in the end!"

I waved a lone finger in front of my face like I was correcting a misguided child.

"Poor, poor Dr. Stylish..." My stare became as sharp as steel. "You'll need at least half of these Jaegers to truly pose a threat to me."

"**I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR INSOLENCE!" **

The monstrous form of the doctor reared one hulking fist back, before thrusting it at Susanoo and I.

Perfect.

Tatsumi burst out of the trees behind us, just in time.

"Follow my lead!" I ordered the two Night Raid members.

My feet dug into the ground, further entrenching my center of gravity. Susanoo prepared himself as well, and Tatsumi was running at us, building force and momentum as he did so.

Tatsumi reached us just as Stylish's fist was about a meter from plastering us into the ground.

The massive strength of the giant abomination was stopped by a club, the bare fist of a saint, and the armored hands of a village boy.

Now, if I was alone in this endeavor, I wouldn't even consider this tactic. I possessed a wealth of Magecraft to choose from, not to mention my Church Sacraments. I'd rather not reveal the full extent of my abilities in front of Night Raid, but again, that would have been necessary if I fought alone.

I wasn't alone.

With that hero-like line in my head, the three of us could hold the monster's fist with relative ease.

"Now, push it back!"

The three of us put even more strength into our respective attacks, and with a roar from Tatsumi, a grunt from Susanoo, and a brief exhale from myself, we blew the hulking arm back, sending the scientist-turned-brute of balance, giving me the opening I needed.

I rocketed up into the air and ran along the length of the arm we just forced back.

"Get away from me! Stay back!"

Stylish attempted to knock me off with his other arm, but Tatsumi and Susanoo intercepted it, knocking it off course.

I could see the panic, the fear in Stylish's eyes, and loathe as I was to admit it, bearing witness to how scared he was filled me with a strange sense of glee. Multiple tubular syringes sprouted from his back in one last feeble attempt to stop me from approaching his real body. I prepared to cut them down, Black Keys ready to sprout forth from my hands, but it was unnecessary. A yellow beam of power and a highly pressurized water scythe tore through them like they weren't even there. My right hand pulsed again, and I pulled back my sleeve, bearing the marks that was one of my Noble Phantasms out into the world. A sick black glow accompanied the markings.

With his last act of defiance defeated, I stood before the mad scientist, an arbiter of judgement.

"Dr. Stylish, I hereby stand as your judge in the name of God."

I could see his face shaking in terror.

"No! I have so much more to accomplish, so many more experiments yet to be enacted!" He whimpered, futilely delaying his end.

"And in the name of the Lord, I deem you guilty."

My right hand latched onto his face, squeezing painfully, but not with enough force to pop his disgusting face. That would defeat the purpose of keeping him alive, after all.

"**Right Hand - Evil Eater."**

The sickly black markings that covered my right arm slithered down and wrapped themselves around Stylish's face.

He screamed.

He screamed as is his very soul was being torn out of his body.

That wasn't _entirely _true, but not far off the mark, either. **Evil Eater** has the keen ability of literally devouring the souls and memories of those that I could deem as "evil". An act of purification, but in the most painful and torturous form possible. Truly, it's an ability unbefitting of a saint. The act of forcefully removing another's soul and purging it with my own magic energy was closer to how people would personify a devil stealing someone's soul. The only thing that separated it from that process was that the soul devoured by my right arm wasn't sent to Hell, but into Purgatory.

In essence, I had devoured all of their taint, and with it, I took all of their experiences unto myself, sending just a hollow, clean slate of the person devoured into the lands of grey. Originally, I meant to use this technique on Esdeath during our encounter while she was under the influence of **All the World's Evil,** because someone like her would fight the effects of this use of my Noble Phantasm to the very end, and I might not have been able to use it to its full effect otherwise.

But with Stylish…

I observed as blood dripped down his nose, how his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and the parts of his body outside of the shell of the monstrous body he constructed started spasming violently. Every so often, the sound of bones breaking could be heard over him screaming his throat raw from how violent his convulsions were. Every action, every experiment this despicable excuse of a human ever committed, was laid bare before my eyes, and it disgusted me. I saw how he lied with glorious promises to his own army that he sent to attack us this night. The pain he put each of them through to become the loyal servants they were tonight, how he discarded their humanity in the name of making them into weapons.

Truly sickening.

Despite how much I hated to experience his actions, this monster needed to face judgement and I needed his memories for my own plans for the Teigu I soon wished to create. My only regret was that Stylish will be sent to Purgatory instead of Hell. Esdeath might have been a murderer and revelled in the act of killing, but that was all she did in a sense: kill. Stylish did so much more.

Little did I know of Esdeath's endeavors out in the field, but everything was regrettable in hindsight.

Finally, it was over. The black markings that clung to Stylish's face retreated back onto my arm, and the man was left dead. I jumped off of the giant mass of flesh and machinery before it fell back onto the forest floor.

The rest of Night Raid soon joined Tatsumi, Susanoo, and I. Najenda brought them to us on a _flying manta_ of all things, which explained how Mizuko and Mine were able to offer their assistance. I tried to join in with their cheers of victory, but I wasn't really feeling it too much after seeing Stylish's memories. It was utterly repulsive, and even though it wasn't common, I too can become victim to negativity. So I stuck to the side, leaning my back against a tree.

I should have known my wish to be left alone wouldn't be respected.

"Oi, Shirou! How come you're being moody over here by yourself? Come join in on the fun!" Leone said as she walked in front of me, arms crossed.

"This is Night Raid's victory, you go join your family," I replied softly, in an attempt to send her off. Of course, it didn't work.

Leone wrapped both her arms around one of mind, intentionally letting her immensely soft breasts to squish and bounce themselves on my skin. However, her eyes had none of her sultry behavior, instead, they were full of care and heart.

"Bullshit! This is as much your victory as it is ours! You deserve to celebrate as well."

"Just not in the mood."

A sharp jab prodded my ribs.

"Stop being a downer! I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to loosen up! And I know just how to do it."

Leone reached into her pants pocket and pulled out two fifths of alcohol, of what kind I had no idea.

I stared at her incredulously. "You're serious?"

"Of course! You look like you need a good drink, and although I would prefer if you were the one treating me, I think this onee-san can provide the drinks this time. Besides, you're the best drinking buddy I've had in a long time, sooooo..." She shoved one of the fifths into my hand. "Drink up, loosen up, and have some fun!" She leaned in close to me ear. "I'll keep it on the down low if you end up trying to take advantage of your dear onee-san too."

"I'm technically older than you, you know, _Imouto-chan_."

The look of shock on her face made me crack a small smile. Leone really was good at lightening the mood.

"Hey, Leo-nee... you weren't trying to make a move on Shirou while he's away from Chelsea-senpai, are you?" Mizuko interjected.

Leone almost jumped to the air at the blue-haired teen's sudden appearance, but quickly recomposed herself.

"So what if I am?!" Leone snapped back.

A mischievous grin emerged on her face. "Well, I hope you're ready for a little competition!"

Now, it was my turn to be surprised, my eyes shooting towards Mizuko.

"Huh? I thought you were on Chelsea's side?" I asked her, before Leone blew a blood vessel.

"I am, at least when it comes to Leo-nee and Chelsea-senpai, but if I was to throw myself in the mix of things..." Mizuko tilted her chin, and put her hands behind her back in an admittedly cute pose, again, similar to what Chelsea habitually did. "Well... what Chelsea-senpai doesn't know won't hurt her, no? I did say earlier I might take you for myself."

I have never seen such sly look in the pretense of a cute action before in my life.

It was that moment I decided that I was done. My thumb popped off the top of whatever form of alcohol Leone passed into my hands and I put it to my lips, guzzling the liquid down in an attempt to forget the two girls beside me.

"Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about Shirou! Tonight we celebrate!" Leone cheered.

"Oh? Does this mean you're fine with a secret relationship?" Mizuko asked.

Curse my Servant body and the Noble Phantasm within my left arm for fighting the effects of alcohol so heavily. I wasn't going to be able to forget anything at this rate!

* * *

**A/N: Alright, didn't take forever this time! This was a fun chapter to write. The 'cleansing' of Stylish's soul especially. Again, some of the abilities that Shirou's Noble Phantasm possess are not canon. I started this story before Fate Apocrypha was finished, and even now the English translations are incomplete. However, a manga for the series has emerged which at the rate it currently is going will probably allow me to experience the events of Fate Apocrypha before the light novel can. I'll see what I can do about getting another chapter out around New Years, no promises though. Leave your thoughts in the reviews (always enjoy reading them) and feel free to pm me as well if you would rather do that. Stay awesome my readers, you all have brought this story so far having past 700 favorites and 840 followers by the time this chapter is posted. I never thought I would ever receive such amazing support, so thank you.**

**Edit: Changed Mozart to Shakespeare. That was a bad blunder on my part, thank you guest reviewer for pointing that out.**


	20. Chapter 18

"Welcome to your new home."

My hands parted the doors of my mansion, letting my newest guest follow me inside. Seeing her marvel over the interior of her new residence like an overexcited child, I felt both joy and sadness at Mimi's expression. I had little doubt due to her having been a subject of Stylish's inhumane experiments that she was more accustomed to the sight of an operating table, and a cold sterile laboratory, rather than a warm, well-furnished house.

"Everything looks amazing, Shirou! Are you sure I can stay here?" My large eared companion asked me meekly, but with her eyes glinting happily and innocently. Her voice constantly shifted from excitement to unease, clearly hesitant to impose upon my goodwill.

I slowed my pace, opting to walk side by side with Mimi, and placed a comforting hand on the small of her back, urging her further into the mansion.

"Mimi, I wouldn't have offered in the first place if I had any issues with you lodging at my residence. It is only fair that I take responsibility for your current state of affairs. I killed Stylish, and you can't return to the Capital due to the experiments performed on you, and if I didn't save you from being consumed by him then you would be dead. The way I see it, I am the one that caused your distinct situation, so it is only right that I offer you my assistance."

Mimi smiled softly at my words and gave me a brief nod. I knew she would accept my hospitality after a small push, but I was still pleased with her choice to take hold of the olive branch I extended to her.

"Oi, should I expect this to be a normal occurrence every time you leave for an extended period of time?" A familiar voice echoed through the main hall of the mansion.

Turning towards the origin of the voice, a familiar head of light-auburn hair greeted me.

I barely caught Mimi's unsurprised expression at Chelsea's arrival. I winced internally at how I missed the fact her hearing was so sharp she must be able to hear just about everything in the mansion's area: footsteps, conversations, even the changes in my residents' breathing. I might have to erect several minor Bounded Fields around the rooms to ensure everyone's privacy. I was sure she didn't mean any harm, but even an unintentional, harmless breach of privacy was still a breach of privacy. There's no sense in alienating her due to her quirks, which was why I brought her here in the first place.

"Good to see you again as well, Chelsea. I would like to say no, but my past track record wouldn't support my words," I responded sheepishly in turn.

Chelsea shook her head in mock displeasure, before shrugging. "I am already aware of how your charms brings others to your side, so I guess I may as well get used to this."

My hand slammed into my forehead.

'_This woman, I swear...'_

"Could you not make it sound as if I'm forming a harem? It's not as if I've only brought females over to my side. Mimi here will misunderstand, so stop saying those kinds of things."

Chelsea crossed her arms, which accented her modest bust through her vest. "No, but you have to admit, compared to the amount of men you have as close confidants, you definitely seem closer to the opposite sex."

Hmm, she had a point there.

"That may be true, but still completely irrelevant. I was merely taking what past events offered me. For example, I never asked for you to try and spy on me, am I right?" I fired back at her. I grinned as Chelsea nearly tripped over my comment.

"You can hardly fault me for following orders at the time…" she grumbled, sucking on the ever-present lollipops she always had with her.

"Just stating facts," I happily remarked, leading the three of us in search of my other close confidants.

My search did not take very long. Yoru and Spear were both training their new students out back with Chouri watching from the sidelines, while Dorothea was experimenting in my Workshop, just as I expected her to be. She took a little more coaxing to get her to come join us. Seriously, the girl talked about how much she hated her current situation all the time, but she adores what my Magecraft and resources can do for her alchemy.

We gathered in the usual spot, which was the living room. However, it looked like we were still missing someone.

"Chelsea, where's Air?"

"She's been busy with a _very_ special training regime that I've currently had her doing. You've only been gone for two days, but she's already made great progress!" The auburn haired assassin rubbed at non-existent tears. "I'm so happy to have such a devoted kouhai!"

A chill travelled down my spine. Surprisingly, the sense of foreboding I felt wasn't solely on myself. Slowly, my eyes travelled towards Yoru, and just as I thought, he felt the same thing that I did... No, he probably felt something worse.

"Chelsea, what kind of training have you been putting Air through?" Yoru asked for me, looking slightly perturbed.

A delicate finger traced the curve of his jaw. The poor young teen almost jumped straight out of his seat at the sudden intimate contact.

"Don't you worry, Yoru, Chelsea-senpai hasn't done anything that you need to worry about. I've been perfectly fine... actually, _more_ than fine. She's taught me _so_ much in _so_ little," Air softly told my surrogate brother, giggling dangerously. Her body hovered over him gently, pressing her soft curves onto his skin. The hand that was used to trace his jaw cupped his cheek, tilting his head up to look at her.

'_Rest in peace, Yoru.'_

Yoru _had_ interacted with females before, but he's never been the genuine target of a women's wiles, and it easily showed. The boy was a blushing mess, and was gaping like a fish up at Air, making the young girl beam in joy at the effect her actions and new appearance were having on the boy. Gone was her pink coat, hat and boots, instead, she wore a pink and white form-fitting tank top, white shorts, a light purple scarf that was loosely wrapped around her neck, with a pink ribbon tied into her hair to finish it off. I had to admit, the new look suited her, and from the victorious look on Chelsea's face and the stuttering mess that Yoru was, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

"A-Air!? What are you doing? What's with the new outfit?" Yoru finally managed to choke out.

A completely fake expression of confusion spread across Air's face. "I'm here for Shirou's meeting, of course. Is there anything wrong with my outfit? Do you not like it?"

I couldn't believe this was happening right now. I was gone for two days... _two days_, and Chelsea already managed to change Air so much. My gaze accused the assassin of her crimes. She had the audacity to just stare back, pretending she didn't know what I was trying to convey to her.

"I, uh, I think it looks really… nice." Yoru commented, which was a correct, yet at the same time, wrong answer. How could his answer have been both?

Ah, there it is. Air slid around and sat in the lap of the young teen, her arms now wrapped around his neck. The poor boy may have saved himself from unintentionally offending her, but now Air can press her advantage. That doesn't even take into account the trouble Yoru has brought upon himself in the forms of Luna and Fal.

The dark aura coming off of the two girls was impressive. 'Hell hath no scorn like an upset woman', after all. Fal looked as if she was ready to split open some skulls, while Lune just looked downtrodden, but was writing strange-looking characters down into a notepad that she must have pulled from her coat. It's contents looked suspiciously similar to a cursed letter...

You please one, but piss off the others. Such is the ways of the unintentional harem…

I coughed into my right fist to focus everyone's attention. "Well, now that we are all here, I would like to introduce our newest guest, Mimi."

Upon my introduction, the former employee for Stylish gave a slight, shy bow to the other occupants of the room.

"Shirou brought you here because he felt sorry for you. Typical," Dorothea put down her cup of tea and approached Mimi, circling around the large eared girl before returning to her seat, seemingly satisfied. Her comments were mean, at least to me. Mimi didn't seem to mind the treatment... did they know each other as former members of the Empire? No, Dorothea said her former unit has never been formally introduced to the Empire. She was probably just familiar with what Stylish's experiments could entail.

A soft exhale escaped the alchemist's lips. "I can't really blame him for doing so. Even though I originally planned on working with Stylish to improve my own practice of alchemy, some of his experiments are a bit much, even for my tastes." Dorothea moved her eyes onto me. "So, I assume since she's here that Stylish is dead?"

"He is indeed, Night Raid and I encountered the mad scientist and put an end to him and his personal army." My right stretched out in front of me, my fingers opening up and clenching tight together multiple times as I stared at it.

"I also used a unique ability of mine to steal his scientific knowledge. So, Dorothea..."

The vampire tilted her head towards me. "Yes?"

"You said you were originally going to use Stylish's knowledge to improve your alchemy? Well, we can still do that." I tapped the base of my skull. "It's all in here, and with it, we can hopefully make some strides towards our joint project."

An excited glint shined in her eyes. "I don't know how you managed to do that, and frankly, I don't really care... But if you truly have his knowledge, then I think we could complete your goal within a couple of months at the latest!"

That was music to my ears, Dorothea told me she was making progress before I left, but I opted for leaving with Lubbock before observing whatever it was that she had managed to accomplish. If she was telling me that it would only take a couple more months versus the predicted eight months or a year to create my own Teigu, then her discovery must have been important.

"Wonderful! I'll be stopping by the Workshop later so that we can talk about your discovery from before I left and where to move on from here. Good work!"

"Hmm, this is nothing for a genius alchemists such as I! I'll be expecting you later," Dorothea responded with a 'Fufun!' while puffing out her meager chest. She brought herself up onto her feet and left the room.

Ah, there's one last thing she needed to know.

"I'm sure you could already guess, but we will also be working on a way to help Mimi as well!" I called out to her retreating form.

That earned me a slightly irritated glare, but a small huff later, Dorothea nodded and continued on her way.

"Well, she's as moody as always," Yoru commented, biting into a bread roll, Air still sitting comfortably in his lap.

"Well, I can't say I like her that much either, but she's here with us under contract... Unlike everyone else that's working for Shirou," Spear responded in turn. A small smile graced her lips as she looked around at the remaining gathered individuals.

"Indeed, Dorothea's stay with us is definitely under different circumstances. Her hostility towards all of us was evident at the start, but now I feel as if she is slowly growing accustomed to us," Chouri added his own two cents into the conversation.

Chouri's observation about Dorothea was on point. The girl was troublesome in the beginning, trying to pick fights with just about everyone. However, at heart, she was very similar to a lot of the magi back from my world. Their desire to reach new heights in their chosen craft oftentimes caused them to overlook their circumstances, actions, and consequences if it could be beneficial to their craft. And that was exactly the situation that Dorothea has found herself in. She's a glorified laborer, under contract to provide me services within her specific skillset. Despite the fact I was only using her for her alchemy, she's slowly grown to accept it because being forced to work under me has given her a new way to experiment with her craft: my Magecraft. As long as my Magecraft could benefit her, then she'd tolerate the rest of us, simple as that.

"Yes, Dorothea can be a handful, but she has been making great strides towards my objectives so I can put up with her behavior. Chelsea, on the other hand…"

Everyone's attention shifted towards the headphone-wearing assassin, a look of genuine confusion on her face as she pointed at herself.

"Me? What about me?"

Now that I had had the time to put some genuine thought into the matter and having met Mizuko myself, the fact that the two of them had stayed in contact while Chelsea has been under my command could be overlooked. However, if I did that, then I would lose a chance to tease her. By the way, now that I thought of it, Spear had constantly been on the brunt side of Chelsea's own teasing. It would be nice to give the blonde some sort of edge to use in her rivalry...

"While I was over at Night Raid's headquarters, I was able to meet a very interesting individual," I started.

"You're going to have to be more specific than that. Night Raid is full of unique and interesting people," Chelsea deadpanned.

"I'm getting there! Let me flesh this out a little. They received some new members, and one of them was a girl no older than Spear, with short blue hair that came down to her neck."

A glint of recognition flashed through Chelsea's eyes, brief, but it couldn't evade me.

"Purple eyes, slim body, very outgoing personality..."

As I continued to list of some more of Mizuko's characteristics I could see a little bit of nervousness creep into Chelsea's frame. The occasional fidget in her right index finger was always a huge tell of hers.

"She also called herself your kouhai." I clapped my hands together. "Ah, now I remember! Her name was Mizuko!"

By this point, Chelsea looked ready to make a run for it. She should know that there's no escape.

"U-Umm, Shirou, you see… the thing is, uh...?"

"Spear, grab her," I ordered.

The speed that Spear was able to snap out and latch onto the scruff of Chelsea's vest ensuring that the assassin couldn't run anywhere astounded me. Why couldn't she move like that all the time?

"Chelsea, where do you think you're going? I don't think Shirou was done talking to you."

The aura around Spear was genuinely terrifying. Women were just so hard to comprehend sometimes, or was it just the women in this realm? Back with Semiramis, I never found it to be so confusing.

"Shirou, tell Spear to let go! I promise I won't run!" Chelsea pleaded.

"I think not. Spear has obviously been wanting to do something like this for a long time and it would be cruel of me to refuse her," I immediately replied, which gave me a smile from Spear and a small pout from Chelsea.

"Then maybe she should just learn how to beat me in a fight."

Oh, Lord. I knew how this was going to go down, and I would much rather not have events transpire this way.

"Spear! Chelsea!"

My voice sliced through the air with no room for argument, stopping Spear and Chelsea from escalating into some form of altercation. In the brief moments before my words left my mouth, Spear had already turned Chelsea towards her and a very intense, and most definitely bloody, 'cat fight' was about to take place. If I didn't assert my authority… well, I'd rather not think about the mayhem that could have happened.

"Chelsea, relax. You're not in any serious trouble. I was simply annoyed you contacted, and _kept on_ contacting someone outside of our circle without my permission or anyone else's knowledge." I firmly grasped her shoulder, separating her from Spear. "You must thank your kouhai later, because only after meeting her did I realize you meant and caused no harm. Don't harm this strong relationship of yours."

"S-Seriously?! I mean... I don't mind being let off the hook, but I kind of expected you to be more upset," Chelsea told me nervously.

"Oh, believe me, you don't want to imagine the... _punishment_ I have in store for you, Chelsea," I said, grinning savagely, making her shiver in fright. "Truth be told, I took a liking to Mizuko. A very interesting girl, full of potential, I was amazed at her control of Black Marlin. Truly astounding."

The lithe figure of Mizuko easily dancing around her enemies with various kinds of water-made contraptions flew through my head, far from Liver's rigid and constrained forms. Her delighted and free expression were charming to my eyes, like a traditional Eastern dancer from my world. Of course, a traditional dancer oftentimes moonlights as an assassin, so it fit her even better.

"She was given Black Marlin? I knew that she had the potential to handle a Teigu, but to think it would be that one... That girl always loved to dance..." Chelsea muttered under her breath with a forlorn look in her eyes.

I patted Spear's hand which held Chelsea, gesturing her to let go. She did so immediately.

"Why are you surprised about Black Marlin? I thought you were communicating with each other?"

"We did, but we didn't talk about anything actually important," she replied. "They were just... you know, social letters. Girls stuff, like the cute boys we liked, fashion, general things you wouldn't understand, or even be interested in."

My right brow rose on instinct when Chelsea mentioned 'cute boys' and from the way she blushed slightly, I already knew which 'boy' they were speaking of.

"Yes, yes it was you! I would talk about you _sometimes_. Happy?"

My stare persisted.

"W-Well, _a lot_ of the time, but that's not important!" Chelsea admitted. "The fact that Mizuko is now the user of Black Marlin is more important. The one who eliminated her old unit was the Three Beasts, the same with me. That's why we're so close now," Chelsea began telling me.

I felt bad, slightly, hearing that juicy bit of info, because I heard this not from Mizuko herself. But if the senpai she trusted so much deemed it fine to share, then I'd gladly accept... although Chelsea had a habit of being loose with her mouth when her guard was down.

Alright, now I _really_ felt bad for Mizuko.

"Mizuko was fairly green when her first unit was wiped out. The only reason she survived was because she was gathering supplies from the forest and saw her unit being decimated from the cover of the forest when she was returning." A new softness entered Chelsea's eyes. "I took her under my wing for a bit; my old unit was taken out earlier that same week. I trained her in the arts of assassination, and although she wasn't as good as me in that department, she was still better than most and had a nact for combat. She could pick up any weapon and become skilled with it in about a week. I was a little jealous of her natural combat skills. One day, I asked her why she learned how to use so many weapons, and she told me this."

Chelsea cleared her throat, "I quote, "_The day, when my unit was slaughtered before my very eyes, I realized something. I realized that water was deadly, the flow of water can bring life, but it can take it away just as easily. If I can use these skills to flow like water, then I could be the one to decide who lives and who dies."_ Those words concerned me for a while, but she always had a good head on her shoulders, so after a couple of months I decided to stop worrying over it. With Black Marlin under her control, it seems that she can finally make that desire of hers come true."

'_Fascinating, truly fascinating...'_

So many tended to break, or… I glanced over at Yoru, sought vengeance when put in such situations, but Mizuko found a strange form of admiration instead. No, perhaps she was already different...? A desire to be like the water which cut apart her old unit... I would call it morbid, if it wasn't so intriguing. Such a way of thinking could almost be considered 'distorted'. That form of distortion could lead to something almost considered among the realms of True Magic: a Reality Marble. The only factor that could be holding Mizuko back from unconsciously creating her own Reality Marble would be her lack of Magic Circuits.

"Oi, Shirou?"

I had to shake myself out of my own thoughts, blinking my eyes a few times to make sure I was back among the world of my peers. "Yes, Spear? I'm sorry, the magus within me was let loose and I found myself distracted."

The blonde spearwoman raised her hands, waving them in the air frantically. "N-No need to apologize! But I must admit, what exactly were you pondering over that you were so distracted? Chelsea was telling us about her kouhai and then you just had this blank glaze glossed over your eyes."

It appeared that not only Spear, but Chelsea, Yoru, and even the three girls that have been fighting for his attention this entire time were curious as well.

"Yes, what about my dear kouhai caught your attention?" Chelsea asked sweetly. But of course, the message behind it was anything _but_ sweet.

"Chelsea, no need to be jealous. Your kouhai was actually supportive of your advances towards me."

Spear looked ticked off at that fact, but Chelsea was nodding her head, as if she was praising a younger sibling for making a wise decision.

"At least she was, until she decided to try and make a move on me herself."

""WHAT?!""

The room shook, courtesy of both Chelsea and Spear's shout. It was uncharacteristic from Chelsea, and I had to rub Mimi's head, somewhat affectionately, and channeled my Noble Phantasm to cure her pained hearing. Tears had already welled up in the corner of the girl, but after a moment, a content sigh escaped her lips, bringing a smile to my face. It's my responsibility, after all, because my teasing was the one that created such beastly soundwave.

"I never thought _Mizuko_, of all people, would backstab me like this... We are going to be having words, me and her, the next time I see her...!" Chelsea swore.

From what I saw, Mizuko definitely would win in a straight up confrontation, Chelsea even admitted that her kouhai was better at combat than her, but the eerie aura that Chelsea kept giving off made me stand still in surprise.

"You can come up with ways to discipline your kouhai for her 'betrayal' later. But you should know that she could possibly be distorted."

The murderous look disappeared, replaced by genuine concern on the light-hearted assassin's beautiful face.

"Shirou, is there something wrong with Mizuko?"

Even though it was asked in the form of a question, her steely gaze demanded answers. To think she would look at me like that, even though not too far in the past she was willing to spill her own life and blood for my sake. Fascinating.

"Yes and no. It isn't anything technically bad nor is it good. This is all just speculation right now, but the fascination Mizuko felt as she watched Liver decimate her old unit could have caused a distortion in her psyche. I need to have her here so I could run some tests in my Workshop so I could know for sure. However, if she _is_ distorted, then I'm just going to say she's lucky to be here, and not where I was from."

My words left a heavy atmosphere in the air, and everyone could feel it.

"And why would that be?" Spear asked the inevitable question.

I took a deep breath in, and then blew it out. "That's because there's an organization full of people with Magecraft like mine that would have no qualms with strapping her down onto a lab table, dissecting her, and performing experiments on her to discover what makes her tick and see if they could somehow find a way to become distorted themselves."

The killing intent that permeated in the air caused Air, Fal, Luna, and Mimi to start shaking heavily and take some steps back in order to distance themselves from the source of the suffocating feeling, that source being Chelsea. I never expected her to care for Mizuko so much, but it must've been my misjudgement.. Maybe it wasn't so much Mizuko latching onto Chelsea, but the other way around? It would make more sense from what I just learned about Mizuko's possible distortion, she probably would have been completely fine without Chelsea. On the other hand…

Chelsea's stone cold face filled my vision, and I knew at that moment that Mizuko was actually Chelsea's way of coping with the slaughter of her last team.

"Everything I just said is worrisome, but I wouldn't worry about any other magus coming to this land. There's only one other magus that has a chance of coming here, and he has no reason to whatsoever." My gaze hardened as I looked each and everyone's eyes, answering their worries. "It doesn't even matter if someone from my homeland did manage to arrive here through some miracle. If they would pose any threat to any of you, and even Mizuko and Night Raid, to an extent, I would end them."

My words seemed to have the desired effect. Chelsea's killing intent toned down significantly, and the looks of caution on the other's faces relaxed a little as well.

"Let's end this gathering here. I promised Dorothea I would look at her discoveries," I informed everyone as I stood up from my chair.

Chelsea was the first to leave, dragging Air with her. The poor young teen was probably going to be used as stress relief. Yoru left towards the kitchen with Luna and Fal at his heels.

"That sounds like a fine choice. I'll continue to look after our finances and continue trying to get into contact with that one group you were so curious about," Chouri said upon his departure.

If Chouri could arrange a meeting with the Path of Peace, then that would be huge for me. Anywhere in the world, a singular group wouldn't last long under the pressure of society without a strong political clout, and the strongest one here without any affiliation with the Empire was the largest religious group on the continent: Path of Peace. I became aware of their existence when the Revolutionary Army had been looking to gain that group's support as well, so now it became a race.

I also heard that the group's leader was 'special' and capable of miracles, similar to myself. Now, how could I overlook that particular information?

"Spear, please escort Mimi to a room she can use while she stays here."

"H-Hai! Please follow me, Mimi-san."

When the two of them were out of sight, I squeezed the bridge of my nose, and let my feet carry me towards my destination. There was no need for me to explain my hypothesis on Mizuko, all it did was cause unneeded tension. Who knows, I could be completely wrong. Sadly, the clarity in which I was able to put everything together was probably due to my Revelation skill. Despite it's invaluable worth, the skill could be annoying at times for its general ambiguity.

It didn't take long for me to reach the shed that became my Workshop. I already knew that Dorothea was inside, and pushed the large doors open, allowing myself entrance.

My Workshop has changed a fair bit since I first formatted it to my use. With Dorothea's inclusion came her line of work. Shelves were covered with a myriad of items that I would have dismissed as useless but Dorothea saw as invaluable. I've given her a full third of the shed's area for her own purposes, but the vast amount of ingredients that Dorothea's craft required often times caused a lot of her possessions to end up in areas designated as mine. So in reality, the Workshop was split about fifty-fifty.

"Ah, you're finally here! Good, I was starting to get impatient waiting for you. It's rude to make someone work and then not even give a little bit of time to look over what they've done, you know?" Dorothea's voice chastised me from her own end of the Workshop.

She had one of the numerous Shingu that we recovered, a trident, in what almost looked like a summoning circle. Of course, there were differences than the ones popular in my world. Instead of a star present in the center of the circle, it was a multitude of interlinking circles, and all the runic writing I was familiar with was replaced with Dorothea's own markings.

"You're right, I apologize for my negligence. What do you have for me?" I responded with a small bow.

Dorothea did not expect my show of respect, as I could tell because she didn't fire off another verbal jab towards myself because her mouth was still agape. My apology was no act, though. She's technically right, and I should have seen her sooner, despite her contracted status of servitude.

"Tsk! Raise your head, bowing doesn't suite you! Especially when I know what you're capable of!"

'_Still ever so sassy.'_

That won't be leaving her any time soon. "If you say so. I just found it appropriate in this situation. I've wronged you and a basic verbal apology probably wouldn't get through that thick skull of yours. I will admit, in the past I've had to do plenty of bowing, and it wouldn't be an underestimation if it could be a skill of mine at this point." Memories of having to constantly bow for Semiramis' amusement flashed through my mind. My past Servant did have a love for the theatrics.

Soft chuckling echoed through the Workshop.

"Alright, alright, you're never wrong. But the sight of you bowing so easily to others while you're our leader may be viewed as a sign of weakness," Dorothea advised me with a rare motherly tone. "So don't bow to me. It pisses me off, especially with that contract you have me under."

The resentment over the Geis contract would still take awhile to get over. I hadn't told her this, but once I find her trustworthy, I would nullify the Geis. Telling her so now would probably just cause her to come up with some elaborate scheme to trick me. Not that it would work, but if she tried, I'd be forced to kill her, and then I'd be down a skilled alchemist.

"If that's what you want. I was trying to play nice. I'm a saint, after all."

That statement caused her to scoff.

"Now, what is it that you're doing here?" I asked, leaning over her shoulder as she worked.

"If my hypothesis is correct, then we need to find a way to break down the Shingus into a raw, workable material without damaging its [Concept]. Smelting won't work, as the [Concept] reacts poorly to physical changes, which is why you see Teigus and Shingus being destroyed because their cores are damaged," Dorothea explains. "If you want to mold it into something else, or even add another [Concept], a new way of forging must be found, different than the way the First Emperor creates these weapons."

Nodding several times, I muttered, "A way to keep the [Mystery] attached during the reforging process... It'd take quite the spiritual artifact to do so." My mind raced through all the possibilities, crossing off and adding on things I experienced in my previous world. It sounded simple, but was very delicate in reality. Plus, the artifact must be self-sustaining in order to avoid it being destroyed in the process, which already limited my options tremendously. My Magecraft wouldn't be capable of doing it alone, not even with the help of my Noble Phantasms.

"Luckily, I may have a solution for that issue."

Dorothea reached down into her right pocket and pulled out a small object covered in a simple cloth.

What was that supposed to be? I couldn't sense any magical presence at all from the object in her hand, but that smile on her face just had this 'I-know-something-that-you-don't' look to it and-

Dorothea unfolded the cloth and my senses were overwhelmed.

Under the cloth was a stone, simple in design, but the magical presence from that mere stone permeated the air surrounding it. What was that stone? Why couldn't I sense such latent magical power? That stone was basically an overcharged magical energy battery! Could it have been the cloth covering it? The Holy Church in my world possessed a Holy Shroud capable of hiding an object's magical presence, the Shroud of Martin, and this cloth she's holding was something of similar ilk.

"Impressed, are we? I thought you would be," Dorothea declared proudly. "This right here is a Philosopher's Stone, and before you asked whether I could get more, it took an _excruciatingly_ long amount of time to come into possession of this beauty. I'm certain that if we use my Philosopher's Stone in tandem with your Magecraft, then we could make this part of the process work. The 'after that' step is where my hypothesis comes in. According to my calculations, I'm 82% positive that the breakdown process should proceed without fail. The part I'm still uncertain about is replacing the conceptual abilities already attached to the Shingu. We need to keep the [Concept] intact during the breakdown process so we have something of worth to use as an ingredient in the creation step. Alchemy is about equivalent exchange, after all," Dorothea explained.

That was definitely a bit to take in.

Both of Dorothea's hands climbed up into her hair and started grabbing at her blonde locks in frustration. "I just can't figure out how to create a new concept without slaying other top class Danger Beasts, but that would take too much time! My Philosopher's Stone can't do it either, especially since it'll be under constant strain from the smelting process."

I placed my left hand on her right shoulder, squeezing it gently to reassure her, which caused the alchemist to pause in her frustrations. "Leave that part to me. I've worked with spiritual concepts plenty of times in the past, back in my homeland. It'll be tough, but I'm sure I can do it. I have a lot of inspiration that I could use as well." My left arm glowed softly with my words, which caused Dorothea to nod.

"Then that'll be your job then. This speeds up my schedule quite a bit. Depending on when the rest of the materials I had Chouri order for me come in, we could maybe even start by the end of the month."

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "That's a lot better than I expected."

Dorothea shrugged, but had a proud smirk on her face. "Fuuhhh... It's no big deal, because I am the best alchemist in these lands!"

I'd let her have her moment of self-appreciation. She'd done well.

My head turned towards the door of my, or more correctly, _our_ Workshop. Several presences have just entered the vicinity of the Bounded Field set around the manor, and I knew exactly who they were. What reason would they have to be coming here though?

"Dorothea, it seems we have some visitors. I'm going to have to leave our conversation here."

The small girl just waved her hand, motioning me to go.

I left the Workshop and strolled towards the front door of my manor, waiting for the inevitable arrival of my visitors.

I didn't have to wait long. It only took a couple of minutes for all of Night Raid to emerge from the thicket. The fact that i sensed no other presence besides them clued me in that they weren't followed, even though they were moving as such a large unit in broad daylight, I was impressed.

"Najenda, to what do I owe the pleasure for your visit? I believe it hasn't even been a full day since I've last seen you and the rest of Night Raid."

My response wasn't rude, but it cut straight to the chase. I was just with them, so there should be no reason for them to be here right now. What kind of game was she-

Leone casually walked forward and wrapped an arm around my neck, that familiar cat-like smile on her face.

"Yo, Shirou! Would you mind if we crash here while we get a new base for ourselves?" Leone asked with the utmost ease.

'_Excuse me?'_

* * *

**A/N: Been a little bit but I've been really busy with college being back in session. Also I am proud to announce that FNR has more than 900 followers by the posting of this chapter. That is absolutely outrageous and I never expected to have such a large following, so thank you to all of my readers for making this possible. Leave a review or send me a PM with any thoughts and questions.**


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